


Earth and Air

by 99nzhe



Series: Lin Beifong Centric AU [4]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Beifongs with feelings, Family Drama, Linzin - Freeform, Sibling Rivalries, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 12:55:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 45,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20228185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/99nzhe/pseuds/99nzhe
Summary: Lin and Tenzin decide to get married. Sequel to "Lives Forgotten". Feat. Linzin, Gaang Kids, a bunch of OCs, some family drama and sibling squabbling.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has the completed Linzin Family from Lives Forgotten. Since the family is so big, I am just going to use script format for the first scene because so many people are talking.
> 
> Six children from Lin and Tenzin
> 
> [Earth Benders: Hunjian(M24), Huifan(F23), Jinkun(M21), [Air benders: Jiexue(F18), Xiaoyu(F16), Kang (M15)]
> 
> Four children from Pema and Tenzin
> 
> Jinora(14), Ikki(11), Meelo(9), Rohan(4)

Setting: _The kitchen/dining room of the Beifong Residence on Air Temple Island. Tenzin sits at the head of the rectangular table. Along the side near his right hand sit Rohan, Meelo, Hungjian, Huifan, and Jinkun. To his left, Jinora, Kang, Ikki, Jiexue, and Xiaoyu. Lin's chair is empty as she is doing the dishes after making breakfast for everybody. _

Tenzin: So we have gathered today because our family has grown significantly and a lot has changed. Now after much deliberation, your mother and I think it would be best if we left Republic City

Hungjian: What?

Jinora: Where would we go?!

Tenzin: I'm getting there. We've decided to first go on a trip all around the world to... see where we would like to live-

HuiFan: That doesn't make any sense.

Lin: We were both born in Republic City and have only left it three maybe four times in our lives.

Tenzin: And not on the best of circumstances. We thought it was time for a change of scenery.

Jiexue: So we're moving?

Lin: Only if you want to

HuiFan: What does that mean? You're abandoning us?

Lin: It means you're nearly full grown adults and can decide for yourself who you want to be and where you want to go. I don't want you to think you have to follow us, in our footsteps or in our shadows. You're all so different and so special and we don't want you to feel the pressure the city will put on you. Reporters won't leave you alone, I already know that-

Jiexue: So you're running away from a bunch of bored non-benders with a printing press because you're afraid of what they will say about us?

Lin: No, just—

Tenzin: We're thinking of making our own home somewhere, starting from the ground up, yet still in the air. We are airbenders, yes, but we are no air nomads. We are not traditional no matter how hard I tried to be for the longest time. And we want to scout places all over the world to build. Suyin has told us we're welcome anywhere in the Earth Kingdom and Izumi has offered us any island in the Fire nation, so we thought we would go exploring.

Ikki: Make a new home like Zaofu?

Kang: or Omashu?!

Tenzin: Nothing is set in stone yet. But Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan are for sure coming and the rest of you are free to come or stay or go your own way. You don't have to decide now, you can come with us to explore different places and choose after or whatever. We want to support you no matter what, in every way we can.

[_Silence._]

Xiaoyu: I'm going with mom!

Jinora: I want to stay with you ALL of you! I feel like this is too soon. We only just became a family and now we're already talking about being separated again?

HuiFan: [reaches across the table to touch Jinora's hand: Then we will stay together as long as we can. [_Turns to Hungjian and JinKun who both nod in agreement._]

Jiexue: We stay together!

Kang: All in favor?

[_Lin glances sideways at Tenzin at the sudden formality coming from their second silliest son_.]

All of the Children: AYE!

Kang: Any opposed?

[_Silence_]

Kang: We stay together! [_slams fist on the table like an imaginary gavel_]

[_Lin glanced at Tenzin and laughs_]

Lin: Of all the children to become a politician, Kang would be the least expected.

Tenzin: Or Ikki.

Huifan: But before we leave the city, we would like... one week. One week exactly.

Jiexue: At least.

HUnjian: To discover the city that you both grew up in.

Kang: Oh and for a wedding!

[_Ikki, Meelo, Jiexue nod furiously in agreement. Huifan and Hungjian fold their arms, lean back and smirk. Jinora and Xiaoyu clasp their hands together hopefully._]

[_Lin crushes the cast iron pan in her hand_]

Kang: Is something wrong? Aren't you guys going to do the thing officially?

Tenzin: We are legally married. We filed the papers yesterday. Your mom... just doesn't fancy the idea of a ceremony-

Lin: Well we're old and- and-

Jiexue: But We're not!

HuiFan: -and it would give reason for Aunt Zumi to bring Ursa to Republic City!

Kang: And we'd get to see our cousins from Zaofu!

Jinora: And Uncle Saru!

Tenzin: I still can't believe he is going to marry Izumi. And I thought he was hitting on you, Lin when he first came to Republic City.

Huifan: And Aunt Su was going to teach me the Metal Dance!

Lin: [yells over everyone] ENOUGH! FINE! We will put a possible wedding ceremony back on the table, but that doesn't mean it is still going to make it into the to-do list!

All of the Children: YAY!

* * *

After breakfast, Tenzin took charge of Rohan while Lin had to go into work at the Earthen Fire Headquarters in the city. Hungjian, Huifan, Jinkun, and Jiexue accompanied her on the ferry ride while Xiaoyu and Kang stayed back for Master Class with Tenzin, Jinora, and the other airbenders on the island.

Lin walked over to her old driver Luong who lived with them at the Beifong Estate in the hills.

"Bye Mom!" Huifan said hugging her.

"You're sure you don't me to come with you guys?" Lin asked.

"Ee'll be fine. Besides, I think you're the most recognizable of all of us if we want to avoid people's attention," Huifan replied.

"You're probably right. Well, be safe! Stick together! Oh wait!" Lin stopped them. She looked around.

"If you end up using the train system, be careful. It can be kind of confusing which lines remain in the city and which ones leave, so if you do end up accidentally riding into the Earth Kingdom, take these so you can get back to the United Republic," Lin said fumbling through a rather large handbag pulling out a bunch of passports.

"You each have two. One for the United Republic from your father, and the Earth Kingdom from me," Lin explained.

The Earth Kingdom passport was green with a gold, shimmery border and the seal of the flying boar at the top with the words "FIRST CLASS PASSPORT" across the top. The one's for the United Republic were just standard issue citizen passports.

"What differs first class from the other classes of the Earth Kingdom?" Jiexue asked.

"You get automatically placed in the first two cars of every earth kingdom train, you don't need a visa to get into Ba Sing Se or the Upper Ring, and that is about all I can think of at the moment. And take some cash, for emergencies ONLY!" Lin said handing them each a bound stack of yuans fresh from the bank.

"Damn, Mom you're loaded!" Hungjian joked quickly slipping his bundle in his robes.

"And you're not, so use it wisely. That's all you get for the week!" Lin said firmly. "Any questions? Would you like any lunch recommendations? Directions?"

"No thanks, Ma. You're needed at work." Huifan answered.

"But you're more important than anything!" Lin replied hugging them all.

"Are you REALLY crying?" Huifan asked accusingly.

"No! I am just remembering the days when you all were small enough to fit in the same bed as me and I could keep you safe. And now you're going out into the world and... and..."

"There, there, Ma. Don't forget to breathe. Now go with Luong before Jiexue has to become your respirator with her bending!" Huifan said patting her mother on the back. Lin laughed and nodded. She climbed into her car with her Chauffeur, Luong behind the wheel.

"Welcome back to the mainland, my lady," Luong said opening the door to the back seat for her.

"Thank you, Luong," Lin replied climbing into the car with blackened windows. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"I have known those kids since you first brought them to the Estate, My Lady. They will be fine for a day," Luong said reassuringly as he started the car again.

"I know, but I still worry." Lin replied.

* * *

"So where do you suppose we begin?" Huifan asked turning to her brothers. They shrugged. They waited then crossed the street and walked.

"There's a train station. It should have a map." Jinkun said pointing off down the street and across a large open square.

Huifan glanced to Hunjian who nodded and they both deployed their cables onto support beams on buildings on either side of the street throwing themselves into the air to get to the train station faster.

"Guys! Why are you running?!" Jinkun yelled launching himself into the air with a push from the earth, not as comfortable with metal as his siblings.

"HALT YOU TWO!" A man yelled. A police officer blew a whistle and flung cables towards Huifan and Hungjian who were almost at the square already. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" He asked with his arms folded.

"Yeah? Why the hurry?" Jinkun asked standing next to the police officer, trying to catch his breath after running.

"You know them?"

"Regretfully, yes. They're my brother and sister."

"Is there a law against cabling across the street?" Huifan asked.

"We didn't cause any damage!" Hunjian said getting increasingly impatient.

"Or civil unrest," Huifan pointed out.

"It is just our preferred method of transportation."

"Those are police-issue cables!" the officer said.

"That were made obsolete twenty years ago. I believe Lin Beifong declared back mounted cables the new 'thing' for the police," Huifan replied.

"Are you giving me lip, young lady?" the police officer asked.

"Forgive my brother and sister, Officer. They're both IDIOTS!" Jinkun said turning back at them. "We only have a week guaranteed in this city and wanted to see all that is worth seeing, so we were going to go to the train station to find a map so that we waste less time getting lost and spend more time exploring." '

"Oh, well why didn't you say that in the first place? Once you get the map, I'd suggest you find Harmony Tower, greatest view in the city. Then there's a new museum in the Police Station and then Avatar Korra Park is pretty nice during the day time with some great meat carts and if you like shopping, then Little Ba Sing Se would be nice, and then if you're interested in fine weaponry, there's Iron Way over on the East side of the city"

"Wow! Thanks!" Hunjian said.

"Have a good day!" Huifan said bowing then turning quickly.

"You too! But be careful with those cables! You could seriously injure someone!"

"We know!" the three took off to the train station, taking a minute to absorb the sight of the architecture and stained glass work. The station was bustling with activity. "Huifan, Jian, I found the directory!" Jinkun said standing in front of a giant map of the city behind glass. He reached into one of the trays mounted on the frame below and took out a folded map. "We are here, at Port Terminal. There are four lines that come in and out of this station. See? They're colored. D Line terminates in the Downtown area, A terminates near Little Ba Sing Se and F goes to the east side."

"And G goes to Dragon flats Borough..." Hungjian said following the colored line.

"What's that?" Huifan asked

"A neighborhood, I am guessing," Hunjian shrugged.

"So where to first?" Jinkun asked.

The three looked at each other pensively for a moment before Huifan decided. "Police Headquarters!"

"Why?" Hunjian asked.

"I want to put up a statue of Mom!" Huifan replied.

"We'll get arrested!" Jinkun yelled

"Not if we aren't caught!" Huifan replied.

"How are we not going to get caught by police AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS?"

"Easy! We build the statue underground and then shove it through the floor of the plaza!"

"Okay but we have to do it fast because I still want to see the weapons district and Little Ba Sing Se!"

"And I want to get a kabob from a meat cart in Avatar Korra Park!" Jinkun said.

"Relax!" We have a week, not a day!" Huifan said. "Let's get train tickets. It will be faster than cabling across the city. Cover me!" Hunjian and Jinkun stepped closer to cover while Huifan pulled out the stack of cash her mother gave her from the pocket in the back of her spool of cable. "How much are tickets?" she asked counting the notes.

"For ages 16-50, it is one yuan per stop or 8 yuans to go the distance of the line," Jinkun said reading off a list on the wall by the ticket booth.

"Are day passes an option?" Huifan asked looking up at her younger brother.

"Yeah, for 25 yuans."

"K," Huifan pulled one note out of the stack and stowed the rest away.

"We only need one?" Hungjian asked.

"Mom gave us each a bank stack of hundreds!" Huifan whispered.

"For a week?!" Hunjian asked shocked.

"Apparently," Huifan shrugged striding off towards the ticketbooth.

* * *

Lin sat behind a new desk in a new office in the top floor of the second highest high rise in the city. The office was spacious with three sitting areas, a private, more homey area behind a set of folding bamboo room dividers. There were book shelves with logs and notes on major expenditures, investments, earnings, and other ventures Earthen Fire Refinery engaged in. There was a portrait of her grandfather and his partner on her wall since they were the founders of the company and portraits of her mother and Satoru.

Satoru, her father.

Satoru was an engineer at the original Earthen Fire Refinery. He was born into Fire Nation nobility but ran away after the 100 year was when his parents joined the New Ozai Society. He lived on the streets of Ba Sing Se when his uncle Loban found him and gave a job. He was a fast learner, and an inventor and created machines to automate processes that previously took three different types of benders to complete. And he was almost as big a fan of Toph as the original Air Acolytes were of Aang.

Lin remembered Aang telling her the stories of the Inventor with vigor. He must have known Satoru was her father. But why didn't he ever tell her? Why did Toph refuse to ever mention his name in their house. Masaru said their father died in a tragic accident involving one of his inventions but that was just a fact. They say time heals all wounds, yet Toph still wouldn't tell her.

"Hello Lady Beifong! Forgive me for my tardiness! It shall never happen again, I assure you!" a secretary said hurrying in with a pile of papers.

"No need to apologize. Life happens. What is your name?" Lin asked the young secretary.

"Eunji, ma'am " the secretary said with a bow.

"Eunji, did you know the engineer Satoru?"

"No ma'am he was- here long before I joined the company."

"Right. Forgive me. I forgot you're just a babe," Lin smiled. "Well, do you know of him?"

The secretary, obviously eager to please her new boss scoured her brain for information she was given during her orientation a few years ago.

"He-"

"Do you know how he died?" Lin asked wanting to know why her mother was too traumatized to speak.

"I don't know the specifics, Lady Beifong but I am sure Penga does. She has known him since the beginnings of the company. She's ancient! Just don't tell her I said that. She was one of the FIRST metalbending students of The Master, Toph Beifong,"

"Really? My mother never told me about her either," Lin commented still staring at the photo of Satoru hung on the wall of her new office.

"I can ask her for you if you're busy,"

"Busy? To be honest with you, Eunji, I have no idea what I'm doing here. The company has run itself with remarkably few hiccups for the last forty years without me, but since my retirement from the force, I thought it would be good to come see how things are doing. I just don't know where to start," Lin said slashing her fingers together leaning forward to rest her elbows on her desk. "Can you tell me how I can help?"

Eunji smiled.

"I'd be glad to, My Lady. Would it be appropriate to say that your kindness was rather relieving?"

"My kindness?" Lin laughed. "Never heard that before!"

"I'm sure. The other secretaries told me so many stories of how stern and ruthless you were as Police Chief,"

"Well what other options are there when you deal with murderers and thieves?" Lin asked shrugging.

Eunji decided to give their now-present owner of the company a tour of the entire building and every floor and told Lin about its operations and brought her to rooms even she didn't have clearance for. Lin opened the secure doors and interviewed workers and learned what everyone did taking notes.

They got through the first five of seventy eight floors by lunch time.

"Let me treat you," Lin said inviting Eunji to a nearby restaurant.

"Is everything okay, Lady Beifong?"

"First, can you just call me Lin, and second, I was wondering if you could please stop telling people how nice I am? I have a reputation to uphold, and I can't have all 76,000 Earth Kingdom and United Republic employees knowing just how 'not scary' I am,"

"Oh, sorry, La-Lin. Forgive me."

"You are forgiven. Now, what are you getting, Eunji?"

"I... don't know. Let me think, I've never been to a place of this... tier ever before,"

"Well get used to it. Now that you're my secretary, I am sure we will be having a lot to discuss,"

* * *

"There it is! Do you remember seeing it the night of Mom's Retirement party?" Huifan asked pointing at the Police Headquarter building.

"Yeah. And didn't you come here to bully the new chief into letting you help with the security sweep for the Festival?"

"I didn't bully him. He needed the help," Huifan shrugged. She spread her legs and moved her hands in a circle. "Into the hole, brothers!" She ordered jumping in after Jinkun and Hungjian were down. "Jian, close the tunnel behind me. We have to be careful. There's a car and truck garage not far from here." Huifan ordered her brothers.

"Ooooo and the maximum security ward is below us a few meters!" Jinkun added as they walked in complete darkness under the square.

"Okay we're below the square now," Huifan said checking their surroundings with her extremely accurate seismic sense.

"Perfectly centered, too," Hungjian added checking. Huifan beamed in the darkness.

"Since we can't build the whole thing because of the prison below, we'll have to push it up and out in layers," Huifan informed them.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hungjian asked.

"Yes." Huifan replied.

"What if Mom doesn't let us return to the city?"

"Just this morning didn't we all have this long conversation about how we're free to to follow our own path and do what we want to?" Huifan asked.

"I don't think that includes being free to erect unsanctioned statues in front of the police building." Jinkun responded warily.

"Oh well, are you going to help or not?" H uifan asked impatiently

"Fine, we'll help," Hungjian sighed.

"How tall do you want this thing?" Jinkun asked already making a scale model of his mother in her police uniform from memory in the ground at their feet.

"Twenty five meters?" Huifan asked.

"Easy enough. We can do it in five five meter sections," Jinkun said finishing the model then chopping it into five horizontal pieces spreading them across the ground. They all studied the five slices with their seismic sense then spread out in the ground under the cavern and made a large room.

"Head coming up!" Hungjian said.

"Wait!" There are crowds of people above us!" Jinkun said.

"I'll move them." Huifan said she bent her knees into a horse stance and shifted the cobblestone above their heads and slid the crowd aside.

The crowd all looked down and around at their feet which seemed to jump about twenty meters from where they were previously standing and a smoothed lump of grey stone emerged from the ground.

"Great. Next section!" Hunjian yelled slicing his third of the outline. Together, the three pushed the next layer up.

"This thing is going to get heavier and heavier, isn't it?" Jinkun asked miserably.

"Yep!" Huifan said hoisting the second layer up through the ground as people, police, and reporters gathered above ground at the growing statue.

"The police is digging in!" Jinkun yelled.

"Three more slices! Come on!" Huifan yelled. They pushed up and their mother from the waist up was already above the ground.

"They're only six meters from us!"

Jinkun yelled.

"I can feel them too, just keep going!" Huifan yelled.

"Okay! Last layer is up, do we surface or dig?" Hungjian asked.

"Dig!" Huifan said putting her hands above her head, making herself as narrow as possible and dropping through the earth.

"Who's there?!" a prisoner yelled as Huifan dropped into the hallway.

"Oh shit!" Hungjian exclaimed from behind the door of one of the cells.

"Hey Bub, You think you can get me out of here?" the inmate yelled locking his finger's around HUngjian's throat.

Jinkun appeared through the ceiling landing in the hallway only a second later.

"Jin, grab a few strips. When I open the platinum lock, you knock out the prisoner, DON'T KILL HIM!" Huifan ordered. Jinkun bent a few strips off Huifan's arm. She threw the door open and Jinkun sent two strips to srike the prisoner on either side of the head. He fell to the floor unconscious and Hungjian walked out.t

"Well that was eventful," Huifan said with a sigh of relief.

"HEY! What's going on in there?" a guard asked.

"Get in!" Huifan shoved her brothers into the cell with the unconscious maximum security prisoner and waited.

They held their breaths.

"Stand against the far wall with your hands up!" the officer ordered peering through the peep hole. "I said stand up!"

"He got knocked out by a couple o' kids!" another prisoner yelled.

"How do you know? You wouldn't be able to see them through the door, and you're a firebender! You couldn't feel them through the floor."

"No, but I could hear them!" I think a boy got caught inside, then another boy and a girl in the hallway knocked out my old buddy jing to get their friend out." the inmate across the hall said.

"Impossible! The locks are platinum!" the officer said.

"Hongbo! We need back up at the surface!" a messenger called the guard in the maximum security ward.

"What happened?!"

"Someone erected a statue of the Chief Beifong in the square! All the witnesses say it just pushed itself out of the ground! We have tunnelers searching the vicinity, but they've turned up nothing!"

Huifan and Hungjian nearly choked trying to stifle their laughter. Did none of these officer's have seismic sense?"

"Tunnelers? They think the culprits fled underground."

"Where else could they have come from?"

"Now I am certain they are down here. And I think I know where." The guard said pulling a key out.

Huifan raised a pair of metal strips, and closed her eyes relying only on her seismic sense. As he turned the lock and pulled the door open, Huifan threw the blindfold over his face with enough force to knock him into the door across the hall and then she did the same with the messenger with a curved strip so neither members of the Police force saw them as they fled t he scene. She locked the door again with her platinum bending and replaced the key in his hand leaving every inmate perfectly secure.

"How do we get out now? You're the only one who has been here before!" Jinkun said in a panic as they reached the ground floor.

Huifan slammed her foot into the ground.

"There's a relatively empty couple of hallways that lead to a back door. Follow me!" She said running through the dark grey halls of the police headquarters.

They metalbent their way out and ran into an alleyway laughing.

"I can't believe we got away!" Hungjian gasped.

"You two are CRAZY! We're going to Little Ba Sing Se next! NO DETOURS!" Jinkun declared pulling out the map.

"Alright Little bro! Thanks for helping with the dimensions of the statue of Ma!"

"I wonder how long it will take the news to reach her," Huifan gasped clutching her diaphragm.

"I suspect a minute, probably," Hungjian said.

* * *

Lin had just gotten back from lunch and hung up her coat on the coat rack just inside her office door when her direct line rang. "Lin Beifong, Earthen Fire Headquarters," Lin said picking it up.

"Hi Chief, er... Lin." Mako said nervously on the other end of the line.

"Hey Chief, what has you freaking out this time?" Lin asked.

"Um... we need your help with a case," Mako said.

"Forgive me Chief, but I no longer have the clearance to help with cases. You can ask for me for advice, but you can't tell me details,"

"This particular case is already public," Mako sighed.

"How? Protocol says-"

"Someone erected a twenty five meter statue of you outside of headquarters and, we can't find any of those responsible nor can we find any metalbending officers willing to take it down. I don't know what to do!" Mako explained hopelessly.

Lin ran to the window of her office and saw in the distance, her own face in grey stone staring back at her over all of the other buildings.

Lin couldn't help stifle her laugh as she picked up the phone again. "Call off the search. I know exactly who did it. I can recognize my son's handiwork anywhere. I'll talk to him at dinner. What is the cost of the damages?"

"Uh... I don't know yet. The cobblestone surrounding your feet is completely undisturbed, nobody was hurt, no damage has been made to the building. It does obstruct the view of about a hundred offices, but a couple of officers have expressed an odd feeling of content at the prospect of gazing at your ass all day, and- I am sorry! I should have been more sensitive-"

"Mako, you're a man. You know how stupid you can be. Don't listen to them. They've been making that joke for decades. It is annoying but not a crime, unfortunately. Now get back to work and send me an invoice for whatever comes up. Don't worry. My children will pay for their little exhibition today."

"Don't punish them too badly, please."

"Hey, they've survived into their twenties under my care. Don't worry!" Lin said. "Now get back to work, Chief, and that's an order!"

"Yes Chie- I mean Lin! Yes Lin!" Mako stuttered.

Lin sighed and smiled. She remembered something she brought from home and went to dig it out of the pocket of her coat. The photograph of her family. She stood up the frame on her desk and stared at it until Eunji came to take her on a tour of several more floors. "My children," she whispered studying the picture fondly.

* * *

The shops on the outermost ring were all relatively cheesy with t-shirts bearing the face of the Avatar, the Earth Queen, the President, the Chieftains of the Water Tribes, and the Fire Lord in cartoon form looking all looking uncharacteristically cute and cheerful.

There were bobble heads, wands with plastic flames, water spouts, tornadoes, and rocks on springs, and other useless nicknacks that children beg their parents for when touring the city.

"Let's move onto the middle ring." Huifan suggested.

"Yes, let's," Jinkun said following her lead.

The middle ring had some nicer clothes. There was casual wear and semi-formal robes in the style of all four nations and shoe stores. Some low-medium end jewelry shops, a couple tailors and dress makers, and craftsmen that made tables, chairs, furniture, and low to medium grade weaponry.

"Why don't we look in here," Huifan said drawn to an Earth Kingdom store called, 'La Mode du Clan Métal'. There were robes in blacks, greys and greens with geometric layering designs with matching metal cuffs and necklaces on mannequins in the window.

The three young metalbending Beifongs walked in.

"Welcome! Do you need help finding anything?"

"We're just browsing, thank you," Huifan said with a police smile.

Jinkun lifted a necklace with his bending feeling out the minerals inside of it.

"Hey! This is aluminum!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry?" the shop owner asked.

"The jewelry in Zaofu is made of steel, platinum, or titanium depending on the wealth of the wearer and the strength of their metalbending ability," Jinkun said slightly offended that the shop keeper was falsely advertising clothes and jewelry as being from his aunt's city.

"Have you even been to Zaofu?" Huifan asked.

"No! But I did watch its citizens ride the trains from dome to dome back when I lived with my parents in the farms below," the shop owner said.

"Well no wonder then," Huifan shrugged.

"Are you from Zaofu?" the shopkeeper asked.

"No but we have family there," Huifan replied absentmindedly.

They touched the fabric of nearly every shop in the middle ring.

"Where does mom get our clothes?" They asked as they entered the boutiques in the upper ring of Little Ba Sing Se.

There were shops with designer names above them. They walked in the circle before spotting a shop front that was literally the width of the door.

"Gaoling Fabric Emporium," the fabrics available for sale were still not as sturdy or thick as what they wore.

"Excuse me, we were wondering where we might find clothes like the ones we're wearing?" Huifan asked offering the corner of her tunic to the shopkeeper.

"You don't know who made your own clothes? These were developed by Earthen Fire Companies, would you believe it? Only came out in the past few weeks. It is supposed to be flame proof and tear proof," the shopkeeper said.

"Really?" Huifan bent a strip off her arm and into a blade and tried to cut the hem of the fabric but it wouldn't go through.

"My old clothes tore like paper," Huifan briefly remembering what Raiko and his brother tried to do to her on the top floor of the Cabbage Corp building that fateful day.

"Maybe that is why Ma had it developed," Hungjian whispered.

She nodded.

She took the strip she was still bending and cut right through the corner of Hungjian's tunic.

"Nope! You're the lucky one!" Hungjian said.

"Do you recognize the fabric of their clothes?" Huifan asked motioning to her brothers?"

"Ahhhh Yes! Cotton from the fields around Gaoling! Lightweight, flexible, durable, good for fighting yet woven with enough gaps between to let air flow and keep cool. We have it here dyed in twenty shades of green, four shades of red, thirty shades between beige and brown,"

"Thank you,"

"How much does it cost per square meter?" Hungjian asked.

"40 yuans."

"Okay, thank you," they left.

"So we can't buy ready-made clothes with quality fabric," Huifan said.

"I wonder when Ma switched out all of your clothes," Hungjian commented.

"Probably when I was sleeping for three weeks. So where to next?" Huifan asked.

"Mmmmm the meat carts in Avatar Korra Park?" Jinkun suggested. "For a late afternoon snack?"

"Sure. Though I must say I prefer the name Republic City Central Park better," Huifan commented.

"You just don't like Korra." Jinkun replied.

"She is useless. No, she's detrimental to the balance of the world," Huifan replied.

"You believe what you want to," Jinkun shrugged.

* * *

When Lin got ready to leave the building, she was warned by Eunji that press had all gathered outside the main entrance.

"I could call your driver Luong and have him come around the back,"

"No, I am actually curious to hear their questions even though I won't respond to an of them," Lin replied pulling on her black double breasted coat with golden rimmed epaulets and cuffs.

"Very well, would you like me to call security to escort you out?" Eunji asked.

"No thanks. I am perfectly capable of controlling abcrowd on my own," Lin smiled and headed for the front door.

"Miss Beifong! Did you commission that statue of yourself in front of The Police Headquarters Building?"

"Miss Beifong, are you trying to make a statement about the current leadership of Republic City's Police Department?"

"Miss Beifong, are you concidering rejoining the metalbending force of Republic City?"

"Miss Beifong, is it true you've officially married the former councilman, Master Airbender and Son of Avatar Aang, Tenzin?"

"Miss Beifong, have any of your children expressed interest in joining the police?"

"Miss Beifong, is it true you have reconciled with a long lost brother in the Fire Nation?"

"Miss Beifong, is it true that you will be the Sister-In-Law of the Fire Lord Izumi?"

"Miss Beifong,..."

"Miss Beifong..."

"Miss. Beifong...!"

_Slam!_

"Glad to be out of that mess, My Lady?" Luong asked climbing into the driver's seat of Lin's sleek latest model of the Satomobile.

"Yep," Lin replied.

"How was your first day truly heading Earthen Fire Companies?"

"Good. I met a bunch of new people and took notes on them and their respective departments. I was not aware the drastic increase in revenue was a result of investing and branching out into industries beyond raw material harvesting."

"Such as?"

"Clothing, armor, architecture. It seems in the last month, Baatar's jumped on the team, there's a new base of operations in Zaofu, and Omashu, and we have paid for the construction of a maglev rail line that runs in a circle connecting Republic City to the three greatest strongholds in the Earth Kingdom!"

"Yes, well, Masaru has been quite the businessman for both halves of the company lately,"

"I'll have to thank him next time I see him," Lin said opening her notebook again scribbling some stuff down on her to do list.

"That shouldn't be too far off," Luong replied laughing.

"What do you know?" Lin asked suspiciously.

"It would appear someone has arrived in the city a week earlier than originally expected," Luong replied.

"Great," Lin grumbled.

* * *

Iron Way was a street overrun with smiths. They all used rather shoddy metals from what the three metalbending children of Lin Beifong could sense with their bending. They walked rather unimpressed until they came to the end of the street.

"Do you feel what I feel?" Huifan asked turning to her brothers.

Jinkun turned to Hungjian who looked ready to shit in his pants with excitement. Behind the tiny door was a hallway, and beyond that, as they could see with their seismuc sense, was the greatest and most diverse collection of traditional weaponry they had ever seen.

Huifan turned the door handle and they walked down the completely dark hallway, completely at ease since the ground was stone as far as they could feel.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Huifan called.

"Woah! Hungjian, check out these hammers!" Jinkun exclaimed.

"The engravings look so cool on the head and the handle!" Hungjian exclaimed.

Huifan found a bell on the counter and rang. There was a low grumble and the lights turned on in the shop revealing chains and spiky weapons and cages also hanging from the ceiling. Nothing they couldn't bend, fortunately.

"What are you doing in my shop?!" a low voice demanded as a man weighing probably four times the three of them combined stood up behind the counter and looked down at Huifan's rather waif-like body. He had a large deep scar across his face and several piercings that made it look like he wore permanent gold staples off the thing. One earlobe was stretched with a giant ring in it and the other ear nearly cut into three sections and fanned out with more metal. His neck and arms and probably rest of his body was covered in tattoos of dancing dragons of all species, colors, and lengths twisting around his limbs.

"Uh..." Huifan backed away.

"I'm just messing with ya! Jeez! The kids in this city have forgotten how to live, it seems," the man laughed clapping her on the back from behind the counter.

"I'm not a kid!" Huifan grumbled walking towards her brothers who both extended their arms over her to protectively.

"No, don't go! I just don't get a lot of visitors! When I first decided to settle in the city, all the store fronts were already full, so I made my shop in the bottom floor of my house and convinced the guy up front to let me buy a few square feet and make myself a hallway to connect me to Iron way! But I haven't got around to stringing up some lights or making a sign. Most folks get 'fraid when they see the darkness beyond the grate," the shop keeper said rather humbly. "What made you guys brave the shop of the great mariner Barge?"

Huifan turned to Hungjian who answered, "The metal."

"Dark didn't scare you?" the former pirate asked.

Huifan lifted her foot behind her and bent off the metal sole.

"You're metalbenders! Not just- You're Beifongs!" the pirate gasped clasping his hands together jumping up and down.

"How can you tell?"

"I once knew a gal way back in my travels. She was one of only three metalbenders I had ever encountered before coming to this city. But of all the metalbenders I knew, she was the only one with retractable shoes. She explained to me how her mother taught her how to see with her feet. Her mother never taught anyone else the technique and told her not to teach anyone either. Said that she had to be the greatest earthbender in the world. But the gal said that her sister had already claimed that title so she ran off with our crew and helped us sort out the knockoffs from the legit stuff after every raid. Spirits, what a lady!" the man said fondly leaning on the counter with his chin perched on his hand and his elbow on the display case.

"That sounds like-" Huifan began.

"What was her name?!" Hungjian asked.

"Sulin? Suvin? Suyin? SUYIN! Yep! That was her!"

"She's our Aunt!" Huifan blurted out.

"Ahhhhh! So you're kids of the other sister eh? The boring one?" The guy asked with a smirk.

"Mom's NOT boring!" Hunjian yelled.

THe massive man roared with laughter.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm sure the chief was real fun, wasn't she? Anyways. Is there anything in particular you were looking for or anything you'd like to try?"

"Do you have throwing knives?" Huifan asked.

"Daggers, stilettos, darts?" the man asked turning behind the counter.

"Everything!" Huifan exclaimed practically jumping behind the counter. He took out a box with a bunch standing up out of a block of wood.

"The daggers, the stilettos, and the darts." he said pulling out two more slabs of wood with projectiles sticking out of them.

"There's one of each kind I have in the shop.

"May I try them?" Huifan asked.

"I don't know, little girl. Are ya trained with these things?"

"Of course! Ma had us trained in everything. And if the throw is off, I could always metalbend it back to me!" Huifan replied.

"IF you could metalbend, why do you even need throwing knives?" the pirate asked.

"In case a chi-blocker attacks me," Huifan replied.

The man's face went wide with shock. "That is actually really smart. I should tell my ex to train our daughter with weaponry."

Hungjian and Jinkun giggled as Huifan yanked out all of the daggers with her bending then collected them in her hand.

"What can I stick with these?" Huifan asked.

"Right!" the pirate ran around the corner and squeezed through the rather tight isles lined with swords, spears, scythes, and other odd pointy things.

"There's some butcher block against that wall there," he said pointing through the dim light.

"Hey Jin, do you want to go stand there so I have something to hit- I mean miss?" Huifan asked.

"Not particularly," Jinkun replied.

"I will!" Hungjian exclaimed always in for a thrill.

Before he could even turn his back to the wall and face his sister, she had thrown five of the daggers pinning him to the wood by both sleeves.

"Hey!"

"Nice shot kiddo!" the man said clapping Huifan on the back nearly knocking her over.

"Can you please stop doing that?" Huifan asked.

"Oh, sorry," He looked down at her and reached a finger to poke the side of her head curiously.

"Hey! You're actually really small!" He exclaimed smiling. The three siblings looked at each other strangely. "Sorry, I got no depth perception. See I lost me left eye in a knife fight about a decade ago, and never really got used to it. I can still use swords and spears, but my knife throwing days are over... unless I am going in for the kill."

"That's good to know," Huifan said cautiously.

Hungjian stomped his foot metalbending the knives out of the block of wood and into his own hand before walking over.

"May I test the weight of the hammers?" Hunjian asked.

"Go for it!" the pirate exclaimed.

* * *

When Lin got to the island, she had butterflied in her stomach. Saru was back, and from the sound of it, he had spent the afternoon with Bumi wreaking havoc on the island. As the ferry approached the docks, Lin was relieved to see the buildings still standing, at least. The Air Acolytes were going about their usual evening routine, and her personal guard was making their rounds along the perimeter of the island, as they should be.

Lin bent her way up the stairs out of pure laziness and made her way towards the Beifong Residence on Air Temple Island. Usually, Huifan alerted her siblings of her arrival and everyone would clean up whatever mess they made, and give her the much needed peace and quiet that she needed at the end of the day, but by the sound of it, Huifan wasn't home. Lin looked over at the sunset. It was getting late.

"AGAIN AGAIN!" Lin heard Ikki, Meelo, and Kang yelling. Just then a blinding light emanated from the window and there were a few thuds followed by the sound of Bumi, Kya and Jiexue rolling around laughing.

Lin ran over to the door and threw it open to see scorch marks on the walls, all of the living room furniture stacked in the kitchen, and the airbending children sitting in a circle around Masaru with Bumi and Kya leaning against the far wall.

"Oh hey, Lin, you're home," Masaru said blushing, pulling his hands back from his firebending stance and rubbing his hair nervously.

Lin mustered all of the self restraint she had and took a deep breath.

"Where is Tenzin?" she asked immediately.

"He got called into the city. Daw needed his advice on something," Kya said quickly.

Lin slammed her fist into the charred wall. "You're lying,"

"Okay, we froze him to a tree on the south side of the island,"

"What? You told me you wouldn't hurt him!" Jinora cried turning to her aunt Kya.

Lin immediately wrapped Masaru and Kya in cables from their hands to their shoulders leaving their legs free to walk.

"Either you are going to thaw him, or you're going to free him!" Lin said dragging them outside. "BUMI! You're putting the furniture back. I KNOW the children would never do something this stupid! Firebending INSIDE? Really, Saru?! And Zumzu likes you?" Lin shreiked as Masaru and Kya laughed mirthlessly.

* * *

They spent the rest of the afternoon testing out the weapons and trying on armor from through the ages from all different countries listening to the man's stories of his pirating days and how he became trained with every weapon type he made and sold in his shop. They bent on and off costume armor and practical armor and sparred with each other for hours.

"Wait! What time is it?" Huifan asked running outside. "The sun has already set!" She exclaimed. She ran back inside.

"Sorry for taking all of your time,"

"You're leaving already?"

"Mum will be angry if we're not home soon," Huifan replied.

"Yeah, sure, she's definitely the fun sister," the pirate merchant scoffed.

Huifan frowned.

"Don't worry we'll be back!" Hungjian replied.

"Oh! And may I purchase all that you have of this knife, five of these daggers, and a hundred stilettos of this size?" Huifan asked pulling some of the throwing knives out of the wood.

"Sure!"

"Why so many?" Hungjian asked.

"In case Jinora or Ikki want to learn," Huifan explained. They practically ran to the train station and leapt through the closing doors as it began to race to the port of the city.

"Dammit!" Huifan cursed.

"What?" Hungjian asked.

"The last ferry leaves at eight pm on regular days." Huifan said looking at the giant clock on the train station.

9:00PM

"Great," Hungjian sighed sarcastically.

Huifan turned around scanning the skyline for ideas, then she spotted the terrace covered in trees, behind which their old house still stood occupied only by guards, and housekeeping. "We could go home and radio the island, or find Luong to get us a boat."

"Luong can captain boats?" Hungjian asked.

"He's mom's chauffeur," Huifan shrugged.

"Isn't that a driver of Satomobiles?" Jinkun asked.

"I thought it just meant driver," Huifan replied.

"It's worth a shot."

* * *

"They're still not back?!" Tenzin exclaimed.

"No, it appears so," Lin replied fuming as they walked back to the house. The sun had completely disappeared beyond the horizon and the moon was rising.

"Shouldn't we go after them? I can have Oogi saddled in five minutes and then-"

"Tenzin, I am not mad or worried about my badgermoles. I am mad and worried about the house and the airbender babies! AND YOU FOR GETTING YOURSELF FROZEN TO A TREE BY YOUR OWN SISTER!"

"SHE SNEAKED UP ON ME!" Tenzin replied defensively.

"That doesn't change ANYTHING! SARU CHARRED THE LIVING ROOM! He could have hurt somebody!"

"YOU DID WHAT?" Tenzin yelled.

"Relax! The house is made of rock anyways, dust it off," Masaru said calmly with the signature Beifong dismissive wave of the hand.

"And we moved all of the furniture and paintings to the kitchen so it would be safe from the demonstration," Kya replied with one hand on her hip.

Lin threw open the door to find everything neatly back in its place and Bumi standing on the low rising table in the living room telling the children one of his tall tales.

"What lies are you filling their heads with now?" Lin asked shifting her weight to one foot looking accusingly at Bumi.

"They're not lies! They're exaggerations! There is a difference you know! Lies only have some truth in them. Exaggerations have all truth with a little bit of added information!" Bumi replied punching the air.

Lin rolled her eyes and went to the kitchen to make some tea.

"Don't worry Ma, we don't take everything Uncle Bumi says at face value," Jiexue called.

"It's like watching one of Varrick's Movers!" Jinora exclaimed.

"Yeah! Like we all know Bolin isn't a waterbender!" Ikki said.

"When did you guys watch one of Varrick's Movers? I thought we forbade it!" Tenzin asked.

"Sorry about that too," Masaru said bashfully.

"Tenzin, how long did you leave them unattended with Masaru?" Lin asked accusingly.

"I didn't-"

Before Tenzin could finish his sentence, Lin froze, stomped her foot into the ground and turned on her heel to the front door. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" she yelled before it even opened to reveal the three young adult metalbenders.

"Uncle Saru!" they yelled running towards him with open arms. Lin slid the ground beneath her brother moving him to the side. Making her children trip over each other unexpectedly.

"Don't hug him! He's in trouble!" Lin said.

"What? Why?" Huifan asked bewildered.

"Go look at the living room," Lin replied returning to her tea pot to add in the blend of leaves she made as they spoke.

"WOAH!"

"Huifan, you missed it! Masaru showed us _the Dancing Dragon!_" Jiexue exclaimed.

"Inside?!"

The airbenders all nodded.

"And you're still alive?" Huifan said leaping into her uncle's arms.

Masaru chuckled and returned the embrace.

"Haha," Lin interjected grumpily pulling down fifteen tea cups from the cabinet and loading them onto a tray to carry tea out to everyone.

After winding down, getting all of the children to go bathe, and getting Bumi to cease his story telling, the big family of ten kids and five adults settled down into the three sofas, four reading chairs, and a giant stuffed badgermole and a giant stuffed sky bison bean bag chair and read for an hour before all heading off to bed.

"I'd hate to impose Lin, but-"

"You have three options, Masaru. You can sleep in the main house with Kya and Bumi, the bison stables, or six feet under in a grave,"

"I'll show myself out with Kya and Bumi," Masaru said with a nod.

"What a terrible host, Ma! He's your own brother!" Huifan said to her mother after their uncle left with Kya and Bumi and walked the hundred feet over to the main house.

"And he could afford to rent out the entire Four Elements hotel for a night and kick everybody out if he wanted, but I am letting him stay on the island after lighting my living room on fire with my children in it," Lin replied continuing up the stairs.

Huifan sighed and followed her mother up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I know this was long, but I wanted to give the children an opportunity to explore the city (while it is not under seige) and Lin to be a glorious CEO of a company that she neglected for some 40 years (because she was young when she inherited it then became chief of police) and Masaru is back in the city and we may get to see PENGA! (remember Toph's student from the Promise and the Rift who was obsessed with shoes?)
> 
> I think in the time line, I would put this about a month after Lives Forgotten.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning after meditation, Tenzin passed a couple of laughing air acolytes who immediately silenced themselves when they saw him approaching.

"Morning, Acolytes? Is there anything particularly interesting happening in the City today?"

"Eh, he'll find out soon enough," one of the acolytes said ribbing another.

"Not happening, Master Tenzin! Happened!" the young air acolyte said handing over the newspaper.

Tenzin glanced at the front cover and headline.

** _New statue mysteriously appears in front of Police Headquarters. Former Chief of Police Lin Beifong refuses to comment!_ **

Tenzin could feel his face heating up with rage as he made his way hastily to his house, followed by his airbending children.

"Lin, why didn't you tell me about this?!" he demanded as soon as he was through the door.

Lin didn't even look up from the rice porridge she was stirring, and went to check on the boiling eggs. "Good morning to you too, my love."

"Jin did this. didn't he?" Tenzin asked.

"Not alone, obviously. No, he would never disturb the public on that scale. I am sure that was Huifan's idea. Hers or Hunjian. They always were getting into trouble."

"Where are they now?"

"Still asleep, and if you try disturb them, I cannot save you from the flying knives."

"How can you not be mad about this?"

"Because, they got away! They were right under headquarters and they got away! It was genius! Hungjian told me how he accidentally dropped in on a maximum security cell and how they knocked out the prisoner and got out but had to go back in because some guard was coming and then they blindfolded the guard and waltzed right out the building!" Lin described with elation.

"So you're proud that you've raised criminals?"

"I am proud of them for being able to outsmart an entire police force of specially trained and extremely experienced metal, water, and firebenders. Besides, they didn't hurt anybody, and I've already spoken to the current chief of police. He said not to worry about it. The officers and the council want to keep it up to pay homage to me," Lin said turning off the heat on the boiling eggs, and draining the water before putting them in an ice bath. She turned down the heat on the porridge and turned away from the stove and leaned back against the counter beside it with her hands resting on the edge of it.

"You're crazy!" Tenzin exclaimed.

"Isn't that why you love me?" Lin asked luring him in with her striking emerald green eyes, sharp cheekbones, and long slender neck.

Tenzin couldn't resist as he walked over to kiss her on the lips.

"Ew! Cooties!" Meelo yelled passing by the kitchen.

"Yeah! Get a room!" Kang added.

"We have a whole island!" Lin shot back at them.

Tenzin turned her head to face him again, laughing. "And they want us to have a wedding ceremony?" Tenzin commented sarcastically tilting her chin up to reach his face.

* * *

"Do you have to go to work today?" Tenzin asked sitting on the bed he shared with his lady, watching Lin button up a dark green blouse over black suit pants.

"Yes. But don't worry about your airbenders. I am taking Masaru with me today, so you will only have to fend off Kya and Bumi," Lin replied with a smile, tucking in her blouse and reaching for her blazer.

"I can't believe I am related to them,"

"I can't believe I am related to Suyin or Masaru."

"Good point."

Just then there was a gentle knocking on the door frame of the master bedroom, and the spitting image of a young Lin in air nomad colors peered in apprehensively. "Mom, Dad, can we talk to you?" Xiaoyu asked showing herself in followed by Jiexue, Jinora and Ikki.

"Of course," Tenzin said sliding over to make room for his daughters on the foot of the bed. Lin buttoned up her coat and sat down at her dressing table to do her hair.

"We were thinking and with your permission, we were wondering if we could get different clothes. Like Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom clothes." Xiaoyu said. Lin froze and listened.

"It is not for fashion purposes or simple acquisition. We thought about your fears you expressed to us yesterday at breakfast about how the reporters will stalk us and say nasty things and decided that if that were so, we could at least make it harder for them to find us by disguising ourselves in the clothes of other nations and ethnicities," Jiexue explained.

"It wouldn't be totally inappropriate since Mom is half Fire Nation and Dad, you're half Water Tribe," Xiaoyu added to their argument.

"Jinora, Ikki, do you share this sentiment?" Lin asked staring at them in the mirror, not turning in her seat..

"Yes, I think it would also be a lot safer to explore in disguise. Since there are so few Airbenders left, we should do everything we can to protect ourselves. Disguises take little effort and can be very effective in limiting unwanted attention," Jinora replied intelligently..

Lin turned to Tenzin.

"Your call, Baldy, you already know my opinion on the matter," Lin said with a certain tone of finality before resuming tending to her hair.

Tenzin thought for a moment stroking his beard while four of his five daughters sat before him all anxiously waiting for his response. Finally, Tenzin spoke. "You may get new clothes. Your mother will give you each an allowance before she leaves for work, BUT when you do go, you have to bring Huifan with you."

"But Dad, we don't need her protection!" Jiexue protested.

"We're not sending her to protect you, we're sending her to guide you," Lin interrupted.

"To prison?" Jiexue asked.

"She has a point,"

"I have full confidence that our airbenders are strong and smart enough to not be cajoled into such antics, right girls?"

"Yes, Mom," the girls chorused.

"Good, now someone, go wake your sister," Lin ordered.

"Uh, Chief, last time I woke up Huifan, she gave me this," Jinora said pointing at the scar that crossed her face diagonally, narrowly missing her eye, and marking her blue arrow mastery tattoos with a faded pink line."

"Riiiiight. I forgot about that. I'll go wake her then," Lin informed them before sweeping out of the master bedroom.

* * *

"Great, I get to babysit a bunch of Airheads! For one of the few days we have left in this city," Huifan groaned with her arms folded over her chest, looking steadfast ahead at looming cityscape sprawled over the mainland.

"You never complained about babysitting us back at the estate!" Jiexue said with her fists on her hips tiptoeing to shove her head in her sister's face. With a wriggle of her nose, Huifan latched a metal strip onto her sister's arm and shoved her onto the deck of the ferry with a clumsy thud.

"Ugh!" Jiexue said blowing Huifan's braids to slap her sister in the face.

"You are sister's! Why would you want to fight each other?" Jinora yelled standing between each other.

"You fight with Ikki," Jiexue said standing up and blasting the dust off her clothes with an air sphere.

"But we use our words to fight-" Jinora explained proudly. "Right Ikki?"

"Most of the time," Ikki replied.

"That must get in credibly boring!" Jiexue replied.

"And you don't get any exercise," Huifan added.

"Fine, you do you!" Jinora said dismissively folding her arms as Ikki put a comforting hand on her big sister's shoulders.

"Here we are Misses. Pier 39," the ferry boat captain said saluting them.

"Thank you, Do!" HuiFan said leading her siblings down the gangway.

As soon as they got off the pier, they were met with a busy road.

"Where do we even start?" they asked looking around.

"We could try the Obsidian district. It's primarily Fire Nation there. They're bound to have some clothing stores!" HuiFan suggested.

"How about little Ba Sing Se Shopping Center?" Ikki asked.

"Everything there is cheap!" Huifan replied. "Trust me."

"Okay," the four airbenders sighed following their eldest sister to the train station near the port.

* * *

That morning, Lin and Masaru walked into Earthen Fire Refineries together.

"Sir Masaru, Lady Beifong," people smiled and waved.

"You didn't use Beifong?" Lin asked Masaru.

"Nah. It wouldn't have gone over well growing up in the palace since Fire Lord Zuko still has a lot of political opposition even when Zumzu and I were growing up,"

"Hm. Did our father have a last name, since he too was from nobility?"

"Lee, but there are a million Lee's in the Fire Nation," Masaru replied.

"Ah," Lin nodded as they entered the lift. "I see."

"So what is on the agenda today Chief?"

" You know I am not Chief of Police anymore, right?"

"I know. But you are Chief Executive Officer of Earthen Fire Companies," Masaru replied with a smug expression.

Lin laughed. "Well in a few minutes actually I have a meeting with a data analyst named Penga. Apparently she was one of mom's first metalbending students."

"Why do you want to speak to her, she must be ancient!"

"Eunji, my secretary says she knew our father. She might be able to tell me how he died or why mother never speaks of him."

"Why do you want to know?" Masaru asked.

"Because he's my father, 'Saru and if Penga speaks, then at least I'll know SOMETHING about him," Lin replied. "Do you know how he died?"

"All anyone ever told me was that it was a horrific accident with one of his inventions," Masaru said.

"Hmph," they walked in silence across the top floor past rows of secretaries and managers to where Lin's office was situated.

"It's nice," Masaru said upon entry hanging up his coat besides hers.

"I didn't decorate it." Lin replied flatly.

"I know, that's why I said 'It's nice'," Masaru replied. She looked up and frowned at him while he merely smiled.

"Oh lighten up, Lin! Even in peace you're grumpy!"

"Whatever," Lin replied going to see what Eunji left for her to look over.

There was a knocking on the door.

"Come in," Lin called.

"Miss Beifong, and Masaru! You're both here?!" the old white haired woman said shuffling into the office.

"Would you like some tea, Ms. Penga?" Lin asked.

"Certainly!" the white haired lady said waiting to be directed somewhere.

"Why don't you join us over here," Masaru offered indicating two long seats facing each other in one of the sitting areas while Lin made tea for them behind the bamboo room dividers.

"I could have heated it for you," Masaru whispered reaching for the tea pot, but Lin swatted him away and carried the tea over on a tray setting it down on the table between them and Penga.

"I know your mother is not the most talkative of people, and you two are both desperate for answers, but I am not sure I can give them all to you,"

"Why not?" Lin asked. "Eunji said you might know something about our father's death. We deserve an explanation and we know we won't get it out of our mother even if she were on her deathbed."

Penga sighed. "Very well, what do I have to fear of the old master now? It was a day none of those there like to remember..."

Lin and Masaru glanced at each other then back to Penga.

* * *

Huifan, Jiexue, Xiaoyu, Jinora, and Ikki found a clothing store in the Obsidian District and went in.

"Hey! What are a couple airbenders and a metalbender doing in my shop?! I've got my business permit and filed all my taxes!" the shop keeper said looking irate and ready to kick them out.

"We're not government inspectors!" Jiexue tried to explain.

"I don't care what you are. Airbenders aren't welcomed here!" the shopkeeper said lighting his hand aflame.

"HuiFan, I think we should leave," Jinora said.

"We've walked for an hour around this district and the fabrics here aren't bad. I got this," Huifan said.

"But why would we want to support such a shitty shop owner anyways?" Xiaoyu asked.

Huifan sighed in resignation. "You're right. We'll find somewhere else." Huifan said leading her sister's out of the shop. They asked around and found Amber Alley, another street with predominantly Fire Nation establishments.

They found a rather up-scale clothing store called 'Hot Haute Couture for Fire Nation Ladies' and went inside.

"Nope, nope, nope! No airbenders allowed!" the female shop keeper yelled chasing after them.

"This is getting ridiculous!" Huifan said kicking up a stone as she went to confront the shop keeper, bending it into a spinning disk of lava fragments, holding it behind her back. "Listen up, lady! I'm looking to get some disguises for my little sisters, so racist bastards like you don't turn us away!" HuiFan said.

"And why should I care?" the woman asked.

"Because if you don't, I will burn down your entire shop in molten lava," HuiFan said revealing her spinning disk of lava.

The woman's nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed challengingly. "If I comply what is in it for me?"

"We'll pay double the listed price as long as you agree tell no one what you've seen," HuiFan said dropping the lava with a flick of the hand, cooling it instantly.

"Fine. You can look around and choose out what you like," the shop keeper huffed watching the five girls closely.

"I don't know what goes with what!" Jiexue said to Huifan holding up combinations of robes and pants and tunics and wraps and different belts.

"Yeah, I wish Ursa was here. She's always dressed so nicely!" Ikki exclaimed.

Just then there was a tapping on the window.

"A Fire Nation Messenger Hawk!" Ikki exclaimed. "Huifan can I pet it?!"

"Speaking of the devil's daughter," Huifan said going outside to pull out the note while the shop keeper watched.

We just arrived in the city. Where are you? Mom is meeting with Kya to discuss wedding preparations! So I'm free for a few hours. Let me know where you are when you get this so I can leave this wretched island!

Love and hugs,  
Ursa

HuiFan smiled and looked at the collar on the bird's harness. "Smokey, Ursa has a dragon. Can you just lead them here. I haven't a pen to write anything back." HuiFan asked. The bird cawed and nipped her hand and flew off again.

"Ursa's in the city and she's coming!" HuiFan announced back in the shop.

"Great! She can help us pick out Fire Nation clothes!"

A few minutes later there was the sound of an animal screeching and a bunch of people screaming as a blue and red dragon landed right outside the shop. The crown princess of the Fire Nation slid off its back and patted his shoulder and hugged it before telling it to fly away again.

The shop keeper's jaw dropped.

"Ursa!" the five girls ran out to greet the princess.

"What are you all doing in the Amber District?"

"We're SHOPPING!" Ikki exclaimed.

"We wanted to be able to go out without being bothered so we thought it would be nice to get my sisters Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom disguises! Jiexue, Xiaoyu and I are a quarter Fire Nation anyways!"

"Wow! No wonder you are all so powerful," Ursa commented with a smile following them into the shop.

"Yeah, but we have no experience with clothes shopping! We don't know what matches with what," Ikki said hopelessly.

"I got you," Ursa said with a smirk and sat all the airbenders down and sifted through all of the shelves and racks. She dressed all them all up and down and got a few extra outfits for each girl. and then they brought their chosen articles to the shopkeeper.

"12,846 yuans," the shop keeper said.

Jinora and Ikki's jaws dropped at the amount of money, but Jiexue, Xiaoyu, and Huifan looked completely unfazed as Huifan pulled out two stacks of 100 yuan notes each with 100 notes.

"Keep the change and remember, we were never here," HuiFan said with a nod placing the stacks on the counter, leaving the grumpy shopkeeper stunned.

"We could have paid for the clothes ourselves," Jinora said to Huifan.

"Yeah, but I didn't want anyone to see that you're carrying a shit ton of cash as well. Safe it in case there's an emergency. Besides, it all came from my mom, didn't it?"

"Oh yeah,"

"Yeah. Don't worry. You've been a big sister for nearly fifteen years. It's my turn now," Huifan said draping an arm over the airbending master as they continued onto the train station to ride to an Earth Kingdom District.

* * *

_120AG:_ _The skies were clear and the sun high when the brand new Earthen Fire Airship was ready for its maiden voyage from Gaoling to the Fire Nation Capital. The Air ship was over 25,000 tons with the fuel capacity to eventually fly a regular route from Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation Capital, and From the North to the South Pole in a day. It was supposed to be the model ship that would connect the Four Nations for the rest of eternity. It was Satoru's greatest accomplishment yet. It was armored with the latest battlements just in case. It was equipped with enough brand new quick-release war balloons for a complete evacuation in the event that an emergency occurs. It had already done test runs from Gaoling to Republic City, Gaoling and the South Pole, and Gaoling to Ba Sing Se successfully on partial tanks of fuel. _

_A collection of engineers, designers, and assembly workers that participated in the construction of the gleaming flagship of Earthen Fire Refineries first airship venture were all invited to join it on this maiden voyage with the inventor, Satoru, and his wife, Toph Beifong. Toph invited the original team Beifong for remaining by her side for so many years through so many ventures and endeavors. It was the first time she "saw" the flagship that her husband spent extended amounts of time perfecting and testing. _

_"What do you think, Love?" Satoru asked draping an arm over her steel uniform that she wore even when outside city limits to remind people of her rank, authority, and prestige. _

_"It's a bloody big blimp. Why isn't it floating?" Toph asked._

_"Because I wanted you to see it before we took off, together," Satoru replied kissing her cheek. "Hmph," the first metal bender grumbled folding her arms and walking towards the machine's gangway. _

_The ascent was smooth and slow. A hundred and eighty people gathered in the luxury lounge of the airship. We were just above Fire Fountain City when something malfunctioned in the engine rocking the entire airship. One of the engine workers pulled the evacuation alarm. Satoru lead Toph to a quick release war balloon and then cut it's tether and pushed the basket off the deck of the ship. Toph called for him, but he refused to go. _

_"I need to find out what went wrong!" he yelled. _

_Once the basket lost contact with the airship, Toph couldn't see, and Satoru yelled for us to not tell the Chief of Police of Republic City in which direction she was going. _

_"Satoru!" She screamed blindly shooting the cables from their spools on her waist towards the air ship, but they weren't long enough to reconnect and reel us in. _

_"Go! I'll get on the next war balloon! Save the baby!" he yelled. As our balloon drifted away, we seeing folk watched as Satoru, ever the knowledve-seeker disappeared into the crew entrance on the starboard side of the airship. We held down our master and friend as she screamed for her lover. Then we heard explosions as the airship was engulfed in flames. She thought that if she, nor anyone spoke his name or Masaru's ever again, she could forget that horrific day._

Penga wiped her eyes and Masaru handed her a box of tissues.

"I know it must have been hard for you, especially, Lin. You reminded her of him so much. You had his passion for your work and his wavy hair, and light skin, and his temper," Penga chuckled.

"How could she tell my skin was light? That's not really something you can see with your feet?"

"Because anyone who remembered Satoru saw so much of him in you including that, and not many had the sensitivity to resist commenting on the resepmblance. She became bitter and resentful of you. We tried to convince her to be nicer to you, gentler, but she insisted you grow up stronger than she so you wouldn't get so easily hurt by the murmurs of strangers in proximity."

"It all makes sense now! Why she was so hard on me, and coddled Su," Lin said to herself.

"Sokka begged her to. He coddled her too."

"So Su belongs to Sokka?"

"Yes."

"Did he know?"

"No,"

"How could he not?!" Masaru asked.

"When Lin was young, Toph saw many people to try to cope with the stress. Sokka became concerned for his friend and started taking her out to dinners and spending more time together, but it didn't last. She kept going to the bars, but no longer had intimate relations there, only with Sokka, but he didn't know. He assumed she just got Su from somewhere else, and loved her regardless. If that kind of attention was what she needed in addition to him being there, so be it, because he wanted to help give you and Suyin the happiness and joy that the Chief was lacking," Penga replied.

* * *

They walked around the Earth Kingdom neighborhood and got Earth Kingdom clothes. Then in the park, Ursa and HuiFan watched the airbenders play a game of Kuai Ball with some strangers and after, they went to a fancy restaurant called Feng's Cuisine that specialized in Fire nation fare and had vegetarian options which was rare for any Fire nation food place.

"Sorry, kids. No children allowed unaccompanied by adults."

"I beg your pardon? We're hardly children!" Jiexue exclaimed.

"Sorry. House rules," the waiter at the door said.

"Sorry, gUYS," Ikki sighed holding Jinora's hand.

"Wait," Ursa ordered. She walked back up tot he man.

"Are you from the Fire nation sir?" She asked.

"Yes, I am still a citizen of the Fire Nation. I'm helping out at my uncles restaurant during the summers."

"Is that so? In that case, then I'm sure you've learned in school that there are three firebender in the world who can produce blue fire, correct?"

Ursa asked with her back towards the man's, and her head turned sideways glaring at the ground.

"Yes."

"Who are they?"

"The disgraced Princess Azula, the current Fire Lord Izumi, and her daughter, the Princess Ursa,"

"And who of those three can control the heat of their flames?" Ursa asked bending a small red flame in her hand then turning it blue then red again and then blue and then putting it out.

"The Fire Lord and the current princess," the waiter gulped nervously.

"My friends are hungry. But so is my dragon, and I love them all dearly. Surely you understand."

"Right this way, Princess," the waiter said leading them back.

"Ooooo if only you could feel his heart pounding!" HuiFan whispered once they were seated with menues and left alone.

"Where'd you learn to slay like that?" Jiexue asked Ursa.

"My mother. She learned from Azula," Ursa replied taking a small, dainty sip of tea.

"But I thought Azula was imprisoned for life." Xiaoyu exclaimed.

"Yeah but my grandfather valued family very much and thought that her meeting my mother would help her mentality. It just turned my mother into a smart savage in my opinion." Ursa explained.

"And you!" Jiexue exclaimed.

"And me," Ursa verified.

"I don't think it's right to take advantage of random civilians like that just to get what you want. We could have gone to another restaurant," Jinora said quietly.

"Jinora, think of it this way. There are like three other parties dining in here. We're helping them stay in business,"

"But maybe their food isn't good or maybe that's just because it is not peak hours," Jinora replied.

"You worry too much about being good to know what's good for you. You don't realize when you're being used and cheated. You have to command your destiny and not abide by the rules set by those who came before you," Ursa said.

"But rules are made for a reason because somewhere some time something went wrong and the rules prevented that something from happening again!" Jinora elaborated.

Ursa rolled her eyes. "Well placed change, times change, and things change, so the rules can be changed too. Look at yourself, Jinora. You're not bald and you're dressed in the clothes of the nation that butchered your people, yet no one is scorning you for it Because it is necessary if you want to truly live a life of freedom that the air nomads valued so greatly."

Jinora became silent as she half her tea cup with both hands.

"So where were we?" Ursa asked HuiFan and Jiexue.

Xiaoyu placed a hand on Jinora's back and rubbed it soothingly.

"Thanks Xiaoyu," Jinora sighed leaning on her half sister's arm.

* * *

"How are you doing?" Masaru asked circling his sister's back.

"Fine!" Lin growled pushing him away and walking over to her desk.

She looked out the window at the city.

"What do you think Mom is doing right now?" Lin asked with an arm against a support beam on the window.

"Picking her toes, or terrorizing some swamp benders," Masaru replied.

"Do you think we're right, leaving this wretched city? Does the company really need me?"

"Yes and Yes. But we have locations all over the world. The best nations and companies can be run from afar. Like a machine, they have millions of tiny little moving parts, millions of tiny operations, but if designed well, and regularly maintained, they can be left on their own to run independently. It hurts to be here, I know. You're not alone anymore, Lin. You will NEVER be alone," Masaru wrapped his arms around her shoulders and waited while she cried on his shoulder.

* * *

The food was even better than expected for a foreign establishment serving ethnic food. After, they continued to walk around the city until Ikki began to stumble. Then they decided to head back to Air Temple Island so the littlest one in their party could nap. Naturally, the eleven year old refused, fervently, insisting that she was perfectly fine.

After dinner, they rode the trains to the docks and boarded the ferry back to Air Temple Island.

"Next time we can just take my dragon," Ursa said. "He flies much faster than these trains and doesn't stop every few kilometers."

"Really?!" Ikki asked.

"Sure! Now go take a nap. You've had a lot of excitement for one day." Ursa ordered.

"But I'm not tired!"

"You heard the Princess, Ikki," Huifan intervened.

"But this is _MY _island! Not _hers_!" Ikki argued.

"Well I'm older, and I say listen to the Fire Princess, Ikki," Huifan replied.

"Haaaawwww! Roaaar!" Ikki sighed, raged, then trudged off obediently.

"Just because you're older, doesn't mean you have the right to abuse your power like some selfish autocrat especially on my island!" Jinora yelled at Huifan.

"Your island? I was born here** NINE YEARS** before you! It was **_MY_**island first."

"You're a bully!"

"And you're a pest!"

"You're not wanted or needed here!" Jinora yelled. "Common earthbender!"

Huifan fell silent looking down at her little half sister with hatred burning through her eyes. She stepped back.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Tenzin asked running over with Kya, Bumi, and Izumi.

"I was just leaving," Huifan kicked her heel into t he ground and a hole broke through the roof of their house over their house as she beckoned her sleeves of throwing knives. She suited up wordlessly and walked back towards the docks.

"Jinora! Happened?!" Kya demanded fraught with worry.

"Huifan!" Tenzin ran after his eldest daughter. She turned on her heel and created a wall over fifty feet high and stamped into the other side.

I'm not needed here, so I am leaving.

"What happened?!" Hunjian asked running down from the low rising mountains on the island with Jinkun.

"We could feel Huifan's rage from the south side!"

Tenzin motioned for the wall.

It took both brothers' bending to negate their sister's as they lowered the wall, but their sister was gone.

"Call mom!" Hungjian said pushing Jinkun towards the house.

"I'm not going to be the one to tell her Huifan's run away!" Junkin said rolling backwards landing on his feet with his hands up, clearly afraid.

"Jinora, we're going to Earthen Fire, and I want you to explain to both of us what just happened," Tenzin said taking Jinora by the arm. Kya, Zumi, could I trust you to keep the rest of the kids on the island, and not let them kill each other or play king of the hill,"

"Yes,"

"Certainly,"

"And Ursa, I know you're not completely innocent either," Izumi said knowingly.

"Dad, I'm sorry!" Jinora said jogging to keep up with her father's long strides.

"I thought I taught you better to take the high road. As a master airbender, you're supposed to set an example even in the face of conflict with someone who may not be totally rational at the time being," Tenzin replied.

* * *

Lin found herself pouring tea quite often. Masaru was off speaking to some directors of the clothing division down on the fourteenth floor when Tenzin and Jinora arrived at the building.

"Chief, Master Tenzin and his daughter are here to see you,"

"Just one daughter?" Lin asked.

"Yes,"

"Send them up," Lin ordered.

"It's nice," Tenzin commented on the appearance of Lin's office.

"I didn't decorate it."

"I know; that's why I said it was nice,"

"Tenzin, whatever it is, spit it out already. Your heart is racing, and hers is about to explode out of her tiny chest. It's making me nervous," Lin ordered sitting down at her desk while Tenzin and Jinora sat across from her.

"Huifan ran away," Tenzin said.

Lin didn't speak immediately, but Tenzin could tell the news crushed her. Her eyes glassed over as if her consciousness retreated back into some dark corner of her brain. She lifted the tea cup to her lips and took a small, dainty sip then set it down again, not looking at either airbender.

"How did this happen?" she asked quietly.

"It's my fault. Ikki was tired and Ursa tried to tell her to go to bed, but she didn't want to and Huifan pulled the 'I'm older and you have to listen to me' and I called her on it and she left."

"You're still hiding some critical information from us, Jinora. I know Huifan can handle sibling quarrels. Tell us exactly what BOTH of you said in this, I expect brief exchange. You're not in trouble, but we need to know what happened," Lin replied straight faced and serious, as if she were interrogating a criminal or a source, with one bare foot planted firmly on the stone floor.

"Just because you're older, doesn't mean you have the right to abuse your power like some selfish autocrat especially on my island!" Jinora yelled at Huifan.

"Your island? I was born here NINE YEARS before you! It was MY island first."

"You're a bully!"

"And you're a pest!"

"You're not wanted or needed here!" Jinora yelled. "Common earthbender!"

"Jinora, when Huifan was eight years old, the White Lotus told her, a child younger than even Meelo is now that she was not wanted or needed because she was an earthbender. Because she was just one among millions more. You are special. You are lucky to be one of some thirty maybe. But she is nothing compared to you in the eyes of the world. It doesn't matter that she can bend lava or platinum. She is still just an earthbender. It makes anyone insecure. I am not saying she's innocent, nor am I saying you are. You are sisters through your father, no more distant than I am from Su. You have to look out for each other and that means knowing each other's strengths, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities," Lin told her calmly, looking straight into the fourteen year old's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Lin,"

"Don't apologize. Apologies change nothing. As my mother always told me, actions speak louder than words. What do you think would be the best way to proceed, Jinora?"

"To try to find her... and give her a task or something that only she can do, so she can feel needed again." Lin sat back and folded her arms and nodded. "Do you have any suggestions, Aunt Lin?" Jinora asked slumping in her seat.

"You got yourself into the argument, now you have to get yourself out," Lin replied.

Jinora sighed. Needless to say it was strange to see Master Tenzin walking around Republic City with a small fire nation child, but they just assumed she was the daughter of a friend or something or maybe even Ursa whom Izumi let lead a rather private life relative to her own upbringing.

* * *

Back at Air Temple Island, Lin, Tenzin and Masaru went to the main house to speak and most likely drink a little with Bumi, Kya and Izumi after dropping Jinora at the Beifong Residence on Air Temple Island to be with her siblings.

"First we have to find Huifan and then give her some task only she can do," Jinora announced running into the living room where her siblings and Ursa waited.

"Well when do you need lava or platinum, or iron bloodbending?" Meelo asked from the floor w here he and Kang were playing with tiny toy soldiers.

"But FIRST we have to find her!" Ikki now awake from her nap, reminded Meelo from where she sat on the giant stuffed sky bison bean bag chair.

"But she's nowhere on the island!" Hungjian exclaimed entering the living room from the kitchen with his brother Jinkun.

"Yeah! We've checked everywhere! Even in the tunnels that Mom carved when she and Dad were children!" Jinkun added throwing his arms in defeat as he and Hungjian dropped into one of the three couches in the living room.

"Wait! Did you go into the tunnels or just search with your feet?" Jinora asked still standing

"We may not be as sharp as Huifan, but I am pretty sure our seismic sense is still rather good, thank you very much!" Jinkun huffed folding his arms grumpily.

"Why do you ask? What does it matter if we used our feet or our eyes," Hungjian inquired.

"Because your feet can be deceiving. On the eve of the Festival a few months ago, Huifan told us girls a story!"

"We don't have time for stories! My big sister is MISSING!" Jiexue yelled impatiently from her place on the couch against the charred wall, sitting with Xiaoyu and Ursa.

"Shut up and listen for once!" Jinora yelled. "she said, '...there once was an earthbender that was so strong that she was able to earthbend the ground to cancel out her own movements and heartbeat enabling her to sneak past even the most accomplished benders capable of seismic sense! She moved every step with the perfect rhythm of the earth that she bent and escaped her wretched prison FOREVER!' She was talking about herself!" Jinora exclaimed.

"Obviously, she IS the greatest earthbender that ever lived!" Jiexue shot back.

"Don't you see? She DIDN'T LEAVE! I don't know about you but even though she is the greatest earthbender that ever lived, I don't see her sandbending her way to the mainland. My guess is she is somewhere here on the island, in the tunnels, cancelling out the vibrations in the earth caused by her own breathing! She just doesn't want to be found!"

"But if we do find her here, what is going to stop her from just sinking again and digging her way out or to a deeper tunnel, farther away?" Xiaoyu asked.

"That is where the task comes in. What do you guys think?"

"I thought you were supposed to do this," Jiexue said turning away.

"I am but me having to do it doesn't mean I can't ask for advice or assistance from people who probably know Huifan better than I do," Jinora replied.

"Good point," Jinkun commented, nodding his head in approval.

Just then there was a knocking on the door,"

"Dad!" nine of the children present exclaimed.

"Am I interrupting a meeting of some sort?" Tenzin asked ready to back out again.

"No, we were just talking,"

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that Lin and I have decided to have a wedding ceremony to officially show everyone just how committed we are to each other and the joining of our families. If you would like to help with the preparation, Aunt Izumi and Aunt Kya are in charge since apparently none of them have any confidence in Lin's decorating skills. While they get started in the main house, I am going to be in the temple, meditating. You all are welcome to join me, or do your own thing. Since you're getting older, you should be able to decide for yourself," Tenzin said before bowing to them and backing out of the house again.

Jinora took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I know what Huifan can do!" She said opening them again. Before anyone could ask for more information, Jinora was gone and breaking through the door to the main house on the island where five adults sat around the low rising table.

"I volunteer Huifan to make the wedding dress! And I know how to find her!" Jinora blurted out as every adult looked at her stunned.

"Great," Izumi said crossing something off her ten page list of things to do.

"Wait but when is the wedding?"

"Friday," Izumi said looking up, lowering her glasses to look at Jinora with a still, stern face.

Jinora looked around rapidly. "I need to go meditate!" She said sprinting off again leaving everyone's hair windswept.

* * *

Jinora sat on the roof of the temple surrounded by the breeze off the bay. She took a deep breath and slowed her heart rate projecting her spirit into every crevice of the island, and finally the tunnels under the south side. She saw cheesy little carvings her father and Aunt Lin made in their youth and a pattern to the previously daunting maze of passages. Finally, she found her big sister.

Huifan jumped and instinctively shot a half dozen stilettos through the apparition.

"Don't panic! Its just my spirit! You can't hurt me now! Listen! We need your help with something!" Jinora said floating towards her, placing a translucent hand on Huifan's knee.

"I thought I wasn't needed!" the metalbender grumbled turning away.

"No you ARE! You're a metalbender, and a girl,-"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Huifan spat.

"Your mom is marrying my dad on FRIDAY and you need to make her a dress!" Jinora explained.

"She can get one in town for cheap. Spririts, I wouldn't be surprised if she wore her old metalbending police uniform! Just leave me to brood in peace, please!"

"No! I will NEVER leave you alone! You're family and while we may be from two different moms and have two polar personalities, we're still blood, Huifan! We have to look out for each other,"

"I thought YOU didn't WANT-"

"Who cares what I want? I'm fourteen. WE NEED you to do this! If Hungjian tried to make it, it would look hideous, and you know Jin prefers stone to metal! Please!"

"Why does the dress even have to be metal?"

"It doesn't have to be metal. I just thought it should have metal accents or something or designs. Like the threads or beading can be done in platinum or something else shiny. I thought it would be fitting since she and you are Beifongs and descendants of the INVENTOR of metalbending,"

Huifan hugged her knees tighter and sill didn't look at the apparition. "I'll think about it."

Jinora floated around, with the upper half of her spirit sticking out of the ground. "May I stay with you until you decide?" Jinora asked floating closer to Huifan's face with wide, pleading eyes.

Huifan turned away. "You know Jinora, I never thought I'd find you MORE irritating than Meelo, and my brother Kang," Huifan grumbled covering her ears and leaning away.

"Me neither! You know, that actually makes me really proud. I didn't think anyone could be more irritating than them either, honestly," Jinora said floating to the other side of Huifan to look up at her. The earth bender stood up and broke a crack in the ceiling bending herself up to the surface in frustration.

"FINE! I'LL MAKE THE DAMN DRESS JUST- LEAVE ME ALONE!" Huifan yelled stomping a crack into the ground, but Jinora's spirit was gone, and she stood there alone, with a couple of fear filled air acolytes nearby pausing from their potato harvesting to eye her with apprehension and uncertainty.

Jinora slid off of the roof and into the window of the top floor of the temple then sprinted down to the stairs and to the main house.

"I got Huifan to agree to making the dress!" she announced proudly.

"Wow! That was fast," Kya said looking at the clock.

"You've only been meditating for about ten minutes," Izumi said checking the clock on the wall.

"It would have been faster, but I had to search every crevice on the island. By the way, Aunt Lin, nice carvings in those caves," Jinora added with her hands folded innocently behind her back.

"You WENT IN THE CAVES?!" Lin fumed jumping up from the table as Jinora sprinted off again.

"Once again, I will repeat, I am GLAD Lin is not a firebender or that girl would have been barbecued alive, I am sure of it," Izumi said glancing around Kya, Bumi, and Masaru.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, second day down. I was torn between making it the last week or the last month in republic city, but I am starting to think a week will be enough to get the Linzin family off the ground. Let me know what you think, what you liked or didn't like or if there is anthing else you want me to squeeze in? :)))


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, after Lin and Masaru left for work, and Tenzin went to meditate half the day away, Suyin arrived with her husband and four children to aid in the planning and setting up of the wedding that would happen in less than four days.

"I cannot believe it! You convinced my sister, LIN FUCKING BEIFONG TO HAVE A WEDDING?" Suyin asked running over to hug Kya.

"It wasn't under the best of circumstances, but we're happy, nonetheless," Kya replied hugging the younger Beifong of their generation.

"What happened?" Suyin asked with a typical mother's concern.

"Jinora and Huifan aren't on the best of terms at the moment for what I expect will NOT be the last time," Kya whispered.

"Ah! Naturally," Suyin exclaimed with a sigh of relief. "Well were Lin and I ever on the best of terms?"

"Certainly not!"

"Well there you have it! Both girls are perfectly healthy!"

"Hey Suyin! What happened to being Earth Queen?" Izumi asked coming out of the main house on Air Temple Island wearing casual clothing and waving with a smile on her face.

"I should as you the same thing, _Fire Lord_ Izumi!" Suyin replied with a smirk, curtseying to the elder woman. Izumi bowed back, then they both burst out laughing.

"Things are going well in our favorite kingdom, I expect," Izumi pressed.

"Very! I've a system that works wonders. With the use of audio recordings, we can get massive amounts of information regarding the candidates for the upcoming elections to even the most remote, illiterate villages of the Earth Kingdom! It's incredible!" Suyin exclaimed. "It is going so well at the moment—and ahead of schedule—that I am sure I can spare a week to help plan and attend my own sister's wedding!"

"That's great!" Izumi said excitedly grasping both of Suyin's hand excitedly.

"So Tenzin wrote to me that the two of you are in charge of the preparations?" Suyin informed her two griends.

"We are," Kya confirmed.

"Where would you like me to be?" Suyin asked.

"I thougt you and Baatar could design and construct the venues for the ceremony and reception area over on the extra island. We need a main stage for speeches and games, a side stage for the band or orchestra—we haven't decided which yet—and a dance floor in the reception area—oh! And in the are for the ceremony..." Kya began listing, pulling out a long scroll that tumbled down the front of her skirt and a few feet away before stopping.

"I think Su gets it," Izumi said firmly, silencing her friend, snatching the scroll from her hand and rolling it back up rapidly before retuning it to the waterbender.

"Great! Well let's get started!" Suyin said clapping her hands with determination, turning to Baatar with that same gleam in her eyes that she had when she first came to him with the early conceptual designs for the city of Zaofu.

"Mother, what shall I do?" Huan asked quietly enough to be discreet, but loud enough for just his mother to hear. Suyin had almost forgotten her own son was still following. During Huan's brief stint as Earth King when Baatar Junior poisoned Suyin, Huan managed to clean up, organize, and modernize the lower ring of Ba Sing Se, Reunite the Earth Kingdom, assemble a massive army of metalbenders, earthbenders, and nonbenders, and miraculously gain the love of the noble loyalists and the peasants in a matter of days. Now, he followed his mother everywhere, advising her on all of the current opinions of technological, political, and social matters concerning all four kingdoms while she informed him on how the traditionalists would have handled things.

They made the perfect team in Ba Sing Se, but on Air Temple Island, Suyin hoped her son would realize he wasn't he needed by her side anymore and feel free to spend more time with his cousins. Apparently he needed telling. "Why don't you go see if Huifan and the others need help with Aunt Lin's gown? I am sure your father and I can handle sculpting the extra island into something suitable to host a wedding," Suyin suggested placing a loving hand on his shoulder, kissing his sullen head, relieving him of his unofficial duties.

"K," Huan replied casually shrugging before turning away like the dutiful son that nobody expected he would become.

* * *

In Huifan's bedroom in the Beifong Residence on Air Temple Island, Huifan stood staring at the stone mannequin that her brother Jinkun made specifically for her project: her mother's wedding gown. It was a perfectly-proportioned, eerily-realistic, and completely nude representation of the woman who raised them.

Behind Huifan, stood Jinkun who eyed his creation critically with narrow eyes, one brow arched, and one curled finger held up to his lips. Behind Jinkun, on a stone bench, sat Hungjian with his legs spread, one foot up on the bench with one arm draped over his knee, lounging and gazing out the window pensively, avoiding looking at the mannequin completely. Behind Hungjian, Jiexue lay the longways on her sister's head with her hands folded behind her head, relaxing. She opened her eyes from her nap to inspect the now finished mannequin. Beside Jiexue, Xiaoyu sat with her legs crossed in the lotus position, her back straight, and her face plainly looking at the mannequin standing against the opposite wall. Kang was out most likely wreaking havoc before the wedding with Kai and possibly Ikki.

"Well," Huifan said finally, turning to face her siblings. "What do you think?"

Xiaoyu glanced to Jiexue who turned to Hungian who turned to Jinkun and Huifan, forcing him to see just beyond their forms, that of his mother's standing completely nude.

He clicked his tongue a few times before speaking. "Can you believe we all used to suck on those teats?" Hungjian said finally.

Jinkun closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose like his father did when he was frustrated, Jiexue started laughing, Xiaoyu sighed in disappointment, and Huifan roared with irritation.

"WHY ARE YOU EVEN IN HERE?" Huifan yelled metalbending Hungjian out of her room by the hammers he carried chained to his belt. She slammed the door and held it closed with her earthbending until Hungjian eventually trudged off muttering under his breath about her reacting inappropriately to a perfectly true statement of fact.

"What colors are we making her wear?" Jinkun asked.

"I haven't decided that yet, the little ones were going to go into town and fetch for me the finest silks in every shade of green, yellow, brown, and gold that they could find on Silk Avenue. They should be back by now," Huifan replied turning to her other earthbending brother.

"We're here!" Ikki said soaring through the open window on her glider with a heavy shoulder bag laden with fabric samples.

"Yeah! Sorry we were late!" Jinora said landing, removing her bag that was filled with an array of heavy, ultra-pure, luxury jeweling metals.

"Hungjian said you locked the doors so we decided to come in through the window!" Meelo said turning to Huifan and Jinkun before freezing at the sight of the mannequin behind them. "Woah!"

Huifan rolled her eyes and flicked her wrist slapping a blindfold on the ten-year-old boy.

"Is that your mom?" he asked.

"What of it?" Huifan asked in a low voice.

"Nothing she's just really ho—," Meelo began to say before with another flick of the wrist, Huifan slapped a gag over his face.

Jinora frowned. "He's just a kid, you don't have to be mean to him," Jinora said.

"He's ten years old. He needs to learn his place, and when to hold his tongue," Huifan replied looking at the fabrics and metals the two young airbenders collected that morning.

Jinora said nothing, but went to relieve Meelo of his bindings and shove him out the window where he could no longer be tempted to make inappropriate comments about his stepmother's body.

"Wait Meelo! Toss up your bag!" Ikki yelled out the window, catching it. "We also got diamonds, pearls, green, yellow, and white crystals, emeralds, amber, silver, and gold…" Ikki listed dumping the contents of Meelo's bag onto Huifan's bed with the metal and fabric samples.

"We'll come up with something, thank you, Ikki," Huifan replied putting in an effort to say it nicely.

"Is there anything else you need to get started?" Jinora asked Huifan.

"This should be all, thank you," Huifan replied turning to face Jinora.

"Thank you for making the dress, I'll go check with Aunt Kya to see where else Ikki and I could be of service. See you at dinner?" Jinora asked.

"Sounds good. See you at dinner," Huifan replied. With that, Jinora and Ikki jumped out of the window and flew off on their gliders.

"So what shape are we aiming for? Do we want a Ba Sing Se upper ring style? A rural Earth Kingdom Nobility style, or a more traditional Gaoling style to pay homage to Mom's legacy?" Jinkun asked.

"Honestly, I have half the mind to dress her in air acolyte robes just to make our lives easier," Huifan replied looking at the assortment of colorful samples they had to work with.

"Oh come on! You must admit, Mom does still have a hot bod. We have to show it off!" Jiexue said loudly, crossing one ankle over her knee while still laying the long ways on Huifan's bed. Xiaoyu and Huifan both frowned at Jiexue for the comment.

"You're glad you're shielded by a mattress beneath your body or I would have earthbent you through the roof of this building," Huifan muttered lifting up a fabric to the stone mannequin.

"Oh please! Quit trying to censor your siblings just because you can't face the truth. Sometimes you're worse than the Dai Li," Jiexue groaned rolling her eyes. Before the metal could hit her mouth, Jiexue raised her gold-plated steel fan and deflected the metal strip swiftly and cleanly with a gust of air, sticking it into the wall beside her.

"She's kind of right, you know. You can't control everybody," Jinkun said.

"I can try," Huifan replied casually peeling a tiny piece of metal off her sleeve, bending it into a pin to secure a bit of fabric to the body of the mannequin. She made another fold and pin before pausing, her ears perking up to something.

"Who is it?" Jinkun asked recognizing the look on his sister's face.

"Cousin Huan," Huifan said turning and bending the door open by the brass handle, revealing the face of the longhaired son of Suyin.

"I could have opened it myself, but thank you," Huan said entering without needing an invitation.

"What brings you up here?" Huifan asked turning to the mannequin again.

"I have instructions from my mother to see if you are in need of any assistance with Aunt Lin's wedding gown," Huan replied.

Huifan thought pensively for a moment. "We are not exactly _in need_ of assistance, though any you have to offer would be greatly appreciated."

"Of course," Huan replied understandingly.

"If you could take over the color selection, I will stick with the metalwork," Huifan said finally.

"I thought Jin was the color expert. When we were painting the murals in the Northern Air Temple, he always did the blending of pigments," Huan said turning to the only other boy in the room.

"Normally, I would, but Aunt Kya has recruited me to sculpt a couple of badgermoles and sky bison out of the cliffside of the new island in preparation for the wedding," Jinkun replied.

"Sounds important," Huan shrugged. "I suppose I can handle the color selection."

"Thanks Cousin," Jinkun said passing Huan on his way out the door.

"Do you still need us, Sister, or can we go find Wing and Wei? No offense, but they've been a lot more fun than you're being today," Jiexue said fanning herself, looking out the window longingly.

"I don't see why you need my permission. I would just recommend you don't get them killed for not helping with the wedding preparations," Huifan replied flipping through more fabrics to offer to Huan,

"Great!" Jiexue said rolling off the bed, picking up her glider that was propped against the wall and stowing her fan in her belt again before leaving with Xiaoyu.

"I'll take care of this, you deal with the metal," Huan said taking the fabrics from Huifan, pointing towards the metal collection.

"Thank you," Huifan said setting to work on a frame for the dress.

* * *

"So," Masaru said smoothly kicking up his feet on a dark, low-rising cherrywood table that stood in front of the couch in the sitting area of Lin's expansive office on the top floor of the Earthen Fire Company Headquarters in Republic City. "Are you excited?" he asked looking over at his sister as she poured over a couple of mountains of papers that had been simply transferred from the desk of Lin's secretary, Eunji, to the desk of the Chief Executive Officer of the Earth Kingdom Branch of the company.

"That is an incredibly vague, question, Saru. Excited for what? More mountains of paperwork that are just as useless as all of the shit I had to sign back at the station?" Lin asked examining another stack of approvals she had to sort through. "What on earth did they do before I started to come in?"

"Penga signed everything," Masaru replied mater-of-factly.

"Ah yes, one of mother's original metalbending students, and one of her oldest friends. Of course she would be trusted to make decisions regarding the company."

"Actually, I ran both halves of the company so you were free to be Chief of Police. Mother and Father never trusted anyone outside of the family to run Grandpappy Lao's baby."

"Why?" Lin asked.

"Because Like mother, I wanted you to be happy, and if you wanted to be Chief of Police and hole yourself up on that mountain top with your babies, then so be it; I would see to it that you could," Masaru said honestly.

Lin paused from her reading. "Spirits! I hate it when you're _good_!"

"Now back to my question. Are you excited about your wedding? The first time you married Tenzin, it was at the top of some rock in the Patola Mountain Range with only the Avatar and his old Gaang present," Masaru said. He laughed. "This is going to be VERY different," he added with a devious glint in his eye like he was in on some secret that Lin was not going to like. Fortunately, she didn't catch it.

Lin frowned at another thing. "Yes, only the Avatar and his old Gaang was there, so how do you know? WHO TOLD YOU?" she yelled angrily slamming her palms down on her desk, denting the metal.

"I told you before Pema laid siege to the City. Ever since I found out about your existence, I have been watching. I wanted to make sure you were safe," Masaru replied.

"So you even had me followed all the way to the Patola Mountain Range in the Southern Earth Kingdom?!" Lin asked in disbelief.

"Yep!" Masaru replied proudly, folding his arms like his mother used to with the biggest teeth-showing grin on his face.

"And Mom didn't catch your little crew and bury them alive for senseless stalking?" Lin asked.

"Nope! My agents are good, aren't they?"

"Hmph," Lin grumbled.

After a brief moment of silence, Masaru spoke again. "So are you going to answer my question or not? How are you feeling about the upcoming wedding?"

"Not ready," Lin confessed with a disappointed sigh, setting down her pen, burying her face in her hands.

"What is there to get ready? Kya and Zumi will handle everything, and I heard Su arrived on the island this morning to help with the decor…"

"Wait! Back up! Su's here? Why doesn't anybody tell me these things anymore?!" Lin yelled jumping to her.

"Why are you surprised? She is our SISTER! Besides, I know you two aren't the closest peas in the pod, but it is not like she is going to destroy the island like Bumi or me!" Masaru laughed. "In fact, it is widely believed that the Metal Clan has overtaken the Fire Nation Capital as having the best builders in the world. I'm sure she and Baatar will make that rustic little spare island of yours looking like a luxurious five-star resort by the end of the day!"

"How can you be so optimistic? You were raised by an angsty king and an emo lady!"

"Do you mean the Fire Lord and his Lady? How can you be so jaded and serious when you were raised single-handedly by the legendary 'Blind Bandit', 'The Runaway', the woman who overturned over half of the upper ring of Ba Sing Se when the Dai Li kidnapped her daughter from Republic City?"

"Nature versus nurture maybe?"

"Maybe." Masaru replied looking out the window at the statue of his sister looming over the buildings in the distance that two of his beloved earthbending nephews and his only earthbending niece erected only two days prior to that morning. "So how can we make you feel more ready for his wedding and less anxious about everything that is happening?"

"I'm not anxious! Just a little wary!" Lin replied quickly.

"Oh don't lie to yourself, Lin. Besides. Those two things are practically the same."

"Whatever!"

Masaru thought for a moment. I KNOW!

Just before Lin could get burned, she jumped back from the red and orange flames that engulfed everything on her desk.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?!" Lin yelled with her back pressed against the window, hyperventilating only slightly.

"Oh don't worry about it." Masaru replied nonchalantly. "If your secretaries have been following protocol, they should have every document printed in quadruplet. Anyways, I thought you might need a distraction. You work to hard, Linny, and since we never did get to spar as children, I thought we could now—" Masaru said calmly.

"In my office?!" Lin shrieked rushing over to get the fire extinguisher hanging beside the sink in her office.

"Well we could, but since the cost of the resulting damage kind of comes out of my pocket as well, we should probably go elsewhere. That," Masaru indicated the flames incinerating Lin's work, "Was just to get your attention away from those damned papers. We could go out to an arena. I know a great one where you can get in for free as long as you can beat the guard outside. He is really easy, trust me!" Masaru continued.

"You're insane!" Lin said putting the fires out on her desk, covering everything in a heavy white foam.

"And you're actually really cute when you're angry. It is no wonder Tenzin is so infatuated with you," Masaru teased.

"Do you want a rock shoved up your ass and down your throat or will you shut up already?" Lin yelled boiling over with irritation while Masaru merely grinned like a grossly amused hog-monkey.

"Hmmm… You know, Lin, that is actually kind of kinky-, Masaru said shielding his face from an oncoming flurry of everything metal in the room.

"Spirits, Saru! You're JUST LIKE SU!" Lin yelled as Masaru cackled gleefully.

"Well, we do share a mother! Just like you two!" Masaru replied with a wink, only provoking her further.

* * *

Back on Air Temple Island, Suyin and Baatar stood in the center of an elaborate dance floor that Suyin designed and stomped out with her earthbending. The designed centered around an octagon that was divided into four sectors containing the symbols of all four elements since Lin was half Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation and Tenzin was half Air Nomad and half Water Tribe. Surrounding the octagon were several other rings containing badgermoles, dragons, skybison, and water all digging, flying, and swimming around the centerpiece that contained the elemental symbols.

"What on earth are we going to do to entertain so many people for a whole day?" Suyin asked watching as dozens of air acolytes and third-party hired help worked to create Izumi and Kya's visions for Lin and Tenzin's wedding into reality.

"Why are there going to be so many people, and why do we need to entertain them for a whole day?" Baatar asked his wife curiously. "I thought Lin and Tenzin wanted a small affair with only family present."

"You're completely right, but you see, you then have to determine where to draw the line between family and everybody else," Suyin replied.

Baatar turned to her with a puzzled expression.

"If you count only those related by blood and marriage, that number is very small. For instance, it would exclude Izumi whom we've all known since birth. She's like a big sister to the both of us, but is only engaged to Masaru."

"This is true,"

"It would also exclude Bolin, who is simply dating Opal,"

"Also true,"

"Which means that we must redraw our line to include not just family but those who are most important to us, and that can include many people. With dear Zumzu in charge of the guest list, it would be safe to assume—I mean expect—an attendance of no less than eight hundred people."

"Lin and Tenzin know that many people?"

"Of course!" Suyin replied.

"Let me correct myself; Lin and Tenzin **_like_** that many people?" Baatar asked in disbelief.

Suyin laughed and leaned on her sweet husband's shoulder.

"Yes, as surprising as it seems. They weren't always these bitter, isolationistic, painfully lonely old people. Believe it or not, but there **_was_** a time when they were actually happy," Suyin said with a smile on her face remembering the good old days. "And knowing Zumzu, she'll probably exhume some old childhood heroes of theirs to surprise Lin and Baldy on their special day."

"You think they'll come? These really old childhood heroes of theirs?"

"Probably. It **is** a wedding of great importance."

"Importance?" Baatar asked. "But it is just your sister and Tenzin,"

""Yes. JUST my sister, the Esteemed Former Chief of Police of Republic City, the eldest daughter of Toph Beifong, the inventor of metalbending, owner of 50% of Earthen Fire Companies, Heir to the Beifong Estate (because Masaru took his father's name) is marrying Tenzin, the first airbending master in over a hundred years, founder of a new nation, Ex-Councilman, and son of Avatar Aang. Yeah, they're not import at all," Suyin said sarcastically. "They've touched the lives of many, and many people have had a huge impact on their lives."

"I never realized."

"That was probably my fault, for distancing myself from anything having to do with my sister for nearly three decades."

"It's not your fault. She chose not to come when you invited her to our city,"

"I know, but I did not beg as much as I could have,"

"I thought Beifongs never begged for anything,"

"And you're right again." Suyin said folding her arms, leaning on one foot.

"So why are Lin and Tenzin letting you guys take over the wedding preparations?" Baatar asked. "I never really caught onto that."

"We're taking over the wedding preparations because neither Lin nor Tenzin wanted to have a wedding ceremony in the first place, but thought that having one would help Jinora think of a way to make Huifan feel wanted and needed again."

"Ahhhhh… I see."

"So how are we going to entertain at least eight hundred people for a day? We can't just have music played and expect them to just dance and eat!" Suyin asked Baatar again.

"We could put on a performance of some sort. With the budget Lin gave, we could fly out the entire Ember Island Play Company and rent them for the day," Baatar suggested.

"Flameo, that 'Song of Earth and Air' was HORRIBLE!" Suyin said remembering the play they attended with Izumi, Kya, Bumi, Lin, Tenzin AND Pema less than four months ago.

"How would you know? We both slept through it," Baatar asked.

"The fact that we both fell asleep so soon into it is a dead giveaway of just how boring it was, probably," Suyin replied. "WAIT!" Suyin yelled just as Baatar opened his mouth to speak. "We could bring my dance troupe from Zaofu! Baatar! You're a genius, Honey!"

"I am? But you thought of it," Baatar replied.

"Yes, but YOU thought of flying out a troupe in the first place! Oh I love you, AND your brain!" Suyin exclaimed bending the ground below her feet to lift her to Baatar's level so she could more comfortably kiss him on the lips and ruffle his neatly combed hair to be messy again. "Let's go run this by Zumzu, then I'll call Toji at the central dome and he could tell Keila… to get the girls ready…" Suyin began to list out as she skipped away towards the main house.

* * *

After listening to Suyin's proposal, Izumi thought for a moment. "The City-State Dance Troupe of Zaofu is world renown for its exquisite grace, beauty, and control in their bending, but don't you think they're a little one dimensional?" Izumi asked finally.

"What do you mean?" Suyin asked.

"I mean, this wedding is the first ever officially known union of two persons that together, unite all four nations before man and spirits. Don't you think it would be better to choreograph a dance that included all of the bending styles into one performance? I remember years ago, when Kya and I were helping to train Lin's babies, we created a form that did just that. I can show you what I remember of it. It was good, but we were always short waterbenders, you could hold auditions in the City. Employ a few local kids for a day, help the economy," Izumi suggested.

"I could, but this wedding is far too important for just anybody to perform during the celebrations. I'd rather open a school and make it free for any waterbender who gets past the auditions than hire them for Lin's wedding. " Suyin paused to think. "I know! We could invite the Chieftans of the Northern Tribe! Eska and Desna! AND, it would be good for them to meet Ursa, Huan, Hungjian and the others. They will probably be leading the world together some day. They're all around the same age… It would be nice!"

"I don't know about that…" Izumi said referring to the last part.

"And wait…" Baatar interrupted pensively. Both woman turned to Baatar instantly with a questioning look that made the man feel like he was suddenly sitting in an interrogation room before a certain Former Esteemed Chief of Police.

"Yes, Sweetie?" Suyin asked.

Baatar gulped. "Can you really command the Chieftans of the Northern Water Tribe to perform in a dance at a wedding?"

"Why not?" Izumi shrugged.

"Well, I only have ever seen them once, at Wu's failed coronation, but from what I recall from then and what I have read, they're not very easily convinced to do anything since their beloved father turned out to be some sort of selfish demon," Baatar explained.

Both women considered his words very thoroughly before responding. When neither spoke, Baatar continued.

"And, since they are leaders of their respective nation, doesn't that make you all on the same level as each other? Wouldn't it be silly to demand such a thing from another world leader?" Baatar asked.

Suyin smiled. "You raise many good points, Baatar, but just think for a moment. We," she indicated Izumi and herself. "… are the Fire Lord and the Earth Queen. Together we control the largest land army, the largest and most technologically advanced airforce and navy, and the most extensive network of secret police," Suyin said.

Baatar sighed. "You mean the Dai Li?"

"And the Amber League," Izumi added cooly.

For a fleeting instant, Baatar looked straight into Izumi's light hazel, almost golden eyes, before blinking and turning away quickly, afraid he disrespected the Fire Lord simply by looking at her with his comparatively shabby commoner self. She was just another one of Suyin's friends that happened to command armies… and navies… and a secret police… And here they were casually debating the entertainment portion of his sister-in-law's upcoming wedding.

"Performing in a dance recital is a very generous price to pay for at least four decades of guaranteed peace with the other three nations if the Chieftains of the Northern Tribe are really reluctant as you seem to believe," Suyin said.

"Would you really go to war over something like this?" Baatar asked with exasperation.

"Sure," Izumi said surprisingly, considering her nation's rather spotty history with war and her own previous anti-aggression position she firmly took during Kuvira's invasion of Republic City.

Baatar sighed in defeat as Suyin and Izumi resumed talking to each other about the specifics of the dance performance itinerary once they determined Baatar had nothing left to say on the matter.

When Baatar first met Suyin, he didn't even know she was a Beifong, let alone a daughter of Toph, the inventor of metalbending, until the legend waltzed into their new city and tunneled right through their near completely platinum walls and into their house one evening. After that little surprise, their life quieted down again for a very long time until Harmonic Convergence when their daughter became an airbender. Then he found out about his wife's secret half-sister who happened to be the Esteemed Chief of Police of Republic City. Then the Captain of the Guard of his city became a crazy dictator after the nation fell into chaos and anarchy and his beloved city was looted and plundered in war, then somehow when the dust settled, his beloved little wife became the new Earth Queen, and now he was standing with her and the **fucking Fire Lord**, casually discussing some conspiracy to get the Chieftains of the Northern Water Tribe to participate in a dance routine… Everything was changing…

"Baatar, are you alright?" Tenzin asked entering the room, noticing Baatar's ghost white face immediately.

Both women turned to Baatar again and he paled even more.

"What's wrong Sweetie?" Suyin asked cupping his chin, gazing up through his fogging glasses and into his chestnut eyes with her brilliant, pine green ones.

"Is it something we said?" Izumi asked with a genuine look of concern that Baatar wouldn't have believed the regal Fire Lord was capable of making if he hadn't seen it that day.

"No, I just…" Baatar stuttered adjusting his metal necklace that his wife liked him to wear.

"… need some air?" Tenzin asked knowingly, offering a hand.

"Yes, thank you," Baatar replied removing Suyin's hands from his face, walking past the airbending master and out the door of the main house on Air Temple Island.

"Thanks, Tenz," Suyin said gratefully facing at her future brother-in-law. "I don't know what's gotten into him,"

"I'll see if I can find out, don't worry," Tenzin said placing a hand on her shoulder reassuringly before following Baatar out the open door.

* * *

After nearly getting blasted off the cliffside of Air Temple Island by one of Bumi, Wing, Wei, Jiexue, Ikki, and Meelo's inventions, Xiaoyu decided she had endured enough insanity for a lifetime and retreated to the Beifong Residence for some tea and another small thing that gave her great comfort whenever she was in distress in any way ever since she was a baby, an article of her mother's clothing. She slipped into her mother's room silently, lighter than air on the most silent air scooter she had ever created. She didn't need Huifan or Huan to detect her presence in the house. It would be easy since they were just a few doors down hard at work on her mother's gown and Xiaoyu really didn't need another lecture from Huifan about how she was always acting 'like a baby'.

She almost reached the dresser when she noticed she wasn't alone. Her mother was home and laying on the bed in her white tank top and black pants with her arm covering her eyes. "Sorry!'" Xiaoyu whispered riding her air scooter back out of the room.

"No, you can come in, Sweetie. I was just resting," Lin said uncovering her eyes, using her left hand to sit herself up again so she could look at her baby.

"Is everything alright, Mom?" Xiaoyu asked jumping off her airscooter softly, feeling less afraid of her big sister with her mother so close by. "I thought you and Uncle Saru went into work for the day. You're back early."

"We did, but shortly after our arrival, your dear Uncle Saru decided that I worked too much anyways and proceeded to light my desk, and everything else on it, on fire," Lin said opening her arms, inviting Xiaoyu to come sit with her. "We then went to the arena and sparred for a good long while, and now I am just tired," Lin explained squeezing her girl tightly.

"Did Uncle Saru hurt you? Should I get a healer?" Xiaoyu asked with furrowed brows and bright, amber eyes wide with worry.

Lin laughed wearily.

"Mom!" Xiaoyu frowned with anger now. "I'm serious! I know where Aunt Kya is! I could get her—" Xiaoyu persisted.

"I'm fine, sweetie! Trust me. Uncle Saru can't hurt me any more than Jin could ever hurt you," Lin insisted.

"But Jinkun would never hurt me. He can't even hurt the tiniest spider fly—" Xiaoyu replied.

"Exactly!" Lin said tapping her girl on the nose. "I just laughed because I know if you were Huifan, you would have first asked if I won the sparring match before checking my body for injurues," Lin explained rubbing her daughter's back.

Xiaoyu frowned again. "That is because Huifan only cares about winning and being better than everybody," Xiaoyu muttered under her breath looking down at her feet.

Lin frowned at the bitterness in her sweet girl's usually gentile and cheerful voice. "Hey!" Lin said leaning forward to try to search her daughter's face for an explanation. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, lately, Huifan has just been kind of… mean."

"Go on. You know you can tell me anything, right. I am here to help you and your siblings! I'm your mom, remember?"

"I know,"

"What did she do?"

"Well, when we were in the city with Jiexue, Jinora and Ikki, many stores turned us down. After the third shop refused to serve us even after we offered a bribe, Huifan used her lavabending to threaten to burn down the establishment. Mama, she was mean, like a thug or a bully that day. I'd never seen her use her bending against an innocent civilian. She had no right even if the shopkeeper was discriminating against us—"

"You are absolutely right, Xiaoyi, and I will be sure to talk about this with her. In the meantime, though, I think it might be helpful for you to understand a little bit about why this might be happening."

Xiaoyu nodded.

"None of this justifies her actions and nothing can make what she did okay, but it may explain part of it, at least. You were certainly too young to remember, maybe a year old when the White Lotus came to separate us. Huifan tried to fight them to stay with Daddy, but they deflected her childish attempts effortlessly. They did manage to hurt her heavily though, with their words. One Grand Lotus, told her she was not needed in the world and that, essentially, her birth, her existence was unnecessary and that she was just a waste of everybody's time and energy. She was just one in among a million other earthbenders no better than any of the rest. At the time, there was only one airbender,"

"Daddy,"

"Yes, and because all three of my bending children were earthbenders, the White Lotus thought there might be something wrong with me. That I could only make Little earth babies. You're lucky. You're special, Xiaoyu. You were born an airbender. For a while, I could tell. Huifan would give anything to be an airbender or even a nonbender because being a nonebender would fool the White Lotus' belief that I could only have earth babies.

"My guess is that Huifan is mean like that sometimes because deep inside, she still feels worthless and unneeded. She is trying to prove that she is not just one in a million. I don't think you realize just how lucky you are to be born an airbender, Xiaoyu. Your existence gives so many people around the world hope while hers makes most people feel absolutely nothing. That's why she prices herself on being the greatest earthbender in the world and being a master of every sub element. She can bend platinum like nobody else. She can bend lava like one other. She can bend the iron in one's blood. She is trying desperately to prove to herself and others that she is special. She is not just one among a million and she is still worth something." Lin finished. Xiaoyu still looked down at the floor and Lin hugged her tighter. "I am not saying you should pity her or let her push around innocent people in the City, but maybe now, you can understand her a little bit more."

"Thank you, Mama for sharing." Xiaoyu said leaning on her mother's shoulder, inhaling her scent and relaxing immediately.

* * *

"So," Tenzin said as they walked around the peaceful, quiet south side of the island. "How are you feeling?"

"Just... a little overwhelmed, I guess."

"You know, you really don't have to help out with the wedding. I know it's a lot of work, and I know train stations are more your forte than floral decorations," Tenzin said in a poor attempt to make a joke when Baatar really wasn't feeling up for anything.

"Hey, sorry. That wasn't right. Can we start over? Look, Baatar, we're going to be brothers soon, and I really, want to help you. The last couple of times I've seen you, you've never been this... quiet. Is everything okay with Suyin?"

"Yeah... everything's great,— no. You know what? It's not. It is not because everything is changing and I just don't know what to think!" Baatar confessed finally, sitting down, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes and run his fingers through his getting hair. "We haven't been home in nearly six months, we haven't slept in anyone place more than a week!

"You know, out life was great in Zaofu, it was quiet and sweet. I built train stations and tramways and high rises day after day. It was EASY! Now all I get to do is follow Suyin all over the Earth Kingdom and watch her do her 'duty' to her kingdom. I should be proud of her. She's happy, we're setting up for a wedding... she gets to see her friends again regularly, she has her sister in her life and now a brother, apparently, but I just feel so useless in this wave of change...

"At Wu's disastrous coronation, Suyin sat in the stands while I was not even permitted in the ceremony. You, Izumi, Lin, you all stood on the stage with that baffoon Prince. You guys ruled the world. Now Suyin is also on that stage. Now she's the Earth Queen and I'm still... nothing..."

"That's not true. You're everything to Su,"

"How do you know. You don't know her like I do,"

"I know this, if it weren't for you, she'd probably still be passed out cold on some pirate ship after a night of senseless debauchery. You inspired her. I read that letter when she invited us to your wedding. The invitation was accompanied by a novel, my friend, and the entire thing was about you and how much you meant to her. You made Suyin the good person that the people of the Earth Kingdom trust to create the infrastructure for their election. You tamed the fearsome sabermoose lion in that woman. You have every right to stand on that stage with your wife and Izumi, and Lin and Me. You are not nothing, Baatar. You are very important and anyone who can read the paper can see that. Don't be intimidated by anyone here. Trust me, everyone's bark is much bigger than their bite during peacetime. Now should you attempt to kill one member of this pack, then that is a whole new story." Tenzin said elbowing Baatar lightly.

Baatar turned to Tenzin. "You really think so?"

"I know so!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI GUYS! Soooo sorry for the hella long wait. I had a horrible case of writer's block and just didn't know what to do with any of my current works. I hope this chapter is good enough to make up for the hiatus. I was trying to give some of the side characters from Lives Forgotten more attention, personality development, and back stories.
> 
> Anyways, I really need your help, dear readers. Please please please leave feedback and/or requests for this? Do you ship any of my OCs with any cannon characters yet? Is there more of any character or relationship (not necessarily a ship but like... I don't know, Bumi and Kang...) that you would like to see? Please let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading ! :)


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Tenzin made breakfast for his ten children in the Beifong Residence on Air Temple Island.

"Open up, Rohan! You have to eat to grow up big and strong like Jin and Jian," Jiexue said feeding Rohan whom she sat on her lap.

"So how was working with Huan?" Jinkun asked Huifan across the table.

"Strange. It appears our cousin has changed drastically. There's something... off about him that I can't quite pin down. He does what he is supposed to but... I don't know... I'm probably just imagining things..." Huifan replied quickly filling her mouth with another bowl of rice porridge to avoid having to talk further about the subject.

"So I was thinking, today we could strike the florists constructing the backdrop where our parents will stand during the ceremony and then—" Kang began to share with Meelo and Ikki.

"Nice try but, you won't be striking anything today!" Tenzin said placing a firm hand on Kang's shoulder.

"Huh?"

"I'm stealing your accomplices/bodyguards, Uncle Bumi and Uncle Masaru, for a special task that only they can help with. Aunt Izumi is in charge,"

"Nooooo!" Kang, Ikki, and Meelo whined.

"Yay!" Jinora, Huifan, and Jinkun said with a smile on their face.

"Sweetness," Jiexue said with a smirk.

"Where's Mama? Is she okay?" Xiaoyu asked looking up at her father.

"She's fine, Xiaoyu. She is just resting," Tenzin replied being sure to look her in the eye when answering. That seemed off to her.

"I may not have Huifan's incredible seismic sense, but I am pretty sure you're lying. I'm going to go check in her. I know how she she hates seeing a healer," Xiaoyu said excusing herself from the table, sprinting up the stairs like a fleeting leaf on a blustery fall day.

"Xiaoyi-" Tenzin sighed.

"Let her go, Dad. She won't do any harm, trust me," Huifan said taking the last bite of her breakfast. She too excused herself from the table, carried her dirty bowl and chopsticks to the sink and washed her hands. "May I go continue work on Mom's gown for the wedding?"

"Yes, Sweetie, you may, thanks for asking." Tenzin said with a nod of approval.

* * *

"Mama," Xiaoyu asked cracking the door open to the master bedroom. Her mother was still in her sleep clothes, sitting in a dark corner, perfectly enclosed in a pyramid of stone. Xiaoyu gasped. "Mama?" She dropped by the stone and knocked on it. There was a crack and a tumble of stone falling to the floor as Lin made a hole in her pyramid and pushed her hand through it, reaching for Xiaoyu.

"I'm alright, sweet girl. I just have this horrible headache. Light and sound both hurt immensely," Lin explained.

"I'm sorry. I'll go, but is there anything I can do for you, Mommy?"

"I don't think so, Sweetie. We're just getting old," Lin replied forcing a strained laugh before letting go of her daughter's hand. "Just give me a few hours and I'll get better. I promise," she said.

"Okay, I hope you feel better soon, Mammy," Xiaoyu said. Just then the hole in the pyramid was earthbbent closed. "I love you," Xiaoyu whispered before sweeping out of the room, closing the door gently.

By the time Xiaoyu returned downstairs, everyone was already off doing their part for the wedding preparations. So, Xiaoyu went to find the woman in charge while her father was away.

"Aunt Zumzu, I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but could I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Xiaoyi! Come! Sit down," Izumi said sliding over on the bench where she was sitting.

"Oh no thank you, it is just a quick thing. Um.. since you have known her for so long, I was just wondering if there is anything I can get or do for my Ma right now. She's not feeling well and has herself holed up in a rock in her room with a headache."

"A migraine?"

"I don't know, she just said light and sound both hurt immensely.

Izumi clicked her tongue and nodded. "Yep. That's a migraine. Well, there isn't really anything you can do until it passes on its own but I do know one thing that Kya and I used to get for little Linny whenever she was feeling down."

"What is it?"

"There's a place called Ding's Dumplings in the city. It's a small... family owned establishment in Terra Cotta District where Toph, Su, and Lin used to live a LONG time ago. Your Grandma Toph used to being home these dumplings every Friday night. Your mother likes them so much that she agreed to join Kya and Me in the early days of probending despite her being underage as long as we got her a few dumplings after every match," Izumi said.

Xiaoyu thought for a moment. "Okay, I'll find it!"

"Don't forget to wear your disguises. I recommend the Fire Nation clothes. They match your lovely eyes," Izumi said.

"But isn't the Terra Cotta District primarily descendants of Earth Kingdom citizens?"

"Yes, then I suppose your Earth Kingdom disguises will suffice. I still think you look nicer in your Fire Nation clothes."

"Thanks Aunt Zumzu!" Xiaoyu called back waving.

* * *

The Sato Mansion was quiet that Thursday morning that Mako returned home after a night shift at the Police Headquarters.

"Mako! You got a letter! It looks REALLY official!" Asami said excitedly delivering it to him personally.

"Official? Like I am getting sued official or..." Mako asked hesitantly accepting it from her.

"The envelope is lined with REAL gold!" Asami said.

"How do you know it is real gold?"

"I conducted a three stage verification process. The first included taking a sample of the metallic substance, then I measured the mass and volume to find its density and matched it, then I checked it for poisons and bit into it to test the malleability and then..."

To_ Police Chief Mako Of Republic City_

_The Master Tenzin of the Air Nomads humbly requests your presence to celebrate the union between him and the Lady Lin Beifong of Gaoling, on the fifth day of the eighth month at 11'o clock in the morning. Dress code is formal attire. You may bring up to one guest of your choosing. Please RSVP to the address below by the fifth day of this week._

"Tenzin and Lin are getting married?!" Korra yelled jumping to her feet.

"It appears so," Mako replied putting the invitation down on the coffee table.

"And they didn't invite me?!" Korra yelled even louder.

"Relax, Korra I didn't get an invitation either," Asami said holding Korra's hand.

"You're different. I'm the Avatar!"

"Do you really want to go to some old people's wedding?" Mako asked, because I can bring one other.

"I can't go to a wedding without Asami!" Korra insisted.

"Well I can't bring two people," Mako said.

"Can we ask Bolin? I'm sure he's invited," Asami suggested.

"That's a good idea!" Korra said pumping her fists.

* * *

Less than an hour later, Mako, Korra and Asami found themselves on Air Temple Island Searching for Bolin. He was helping Opal and two of her brothers hang decorations.

"Wow. This is a rather- extravagant affair for an Air Nomad wedding," Korra commented.

"Don't forget. It isn't JUST an air nomad affair. My Aunt is still a very prominent and wealthy lady in the Earth Kingdom," Opal reminded the Avatar.

"How could we? She halted on my company's metal shipments for the duration of the skirmish with Pema," Asami replied bitterly.

"Look, Bolin, we came to see if you had gotten an invitation to the wedding yet so Asami and I could go as yours and Mako's guests," Korra said upfront.

"Actually, I didn't get an invitation. Everyone assumed I'd just be Opal's guest and since we are kind of dating. And she is a member of the Beifong Family so she is required to attend."

"What? I don't get it. I'm the Avatar! Tenzin was my airbending Master. I'm the reincarnation of his father and he doesn't even want me at his wedding?!" Korra yelled.

"If you really have issues about not being invited, then take it up with the Fire Lord. She's in charge of the guest list. We're just workers in this whole planning thing," Opal suggested to the Avatar and her friends.

"The Fire Lord?" Korra gasped.

"Tall, beautiful, grey-haired, glasses... You've met her. She's in most likely in the main house with Aunt Kya and my mother," Opal said.

"Alright then!" Korra said turning on her heel.

"You know, Korra, I have a feeling they don't want you at the wedding for a reason," Asami said alout pensively.

"Hello Cousin," a creepy voice behind them said.

"Eska? Desna? What are you doing here?"

"We're invited to the wedding. Master Kya of our Sister Tribe has asked us if we would like to participate in an exhibition during the reception ceremony with the children of the Airbending Master and the Fire Lord," Desna answered.

"What? They invited you and not me?"

"Don't be disappointed, Korra. Weddings are such dull affairs." Eska sighed then turned to Bolin longingly. "Trust me,"

"Great. You two are here, Suyin's already down on the sparring ground with the others to show you the choreography," Kya said running out of the main house to wrap her arms around the twins and lead them away.

"Oh hello Korra," Kya said glancing back.

"See ya around, Cousin," Desna said dully.

They went into the main house where a line up of servants and air acolytes were waiting to present to the Fire Lord their progress report.

"In the den, in the girls' dormitories... have you checked on the ripeness of the opa squash?... No fire flakes until the very end and only for the children," Fire Lord Izumi said.

"Fire Lord Izumi! I would like to know why I'm not invited to Tenzin's wedding!"

"First of all, he is Master Tenzin to you unless you've lost all respect for your teacher," Izumi said adjusting her glasses. "Second of all, I fail to see a reason why should be invited."

"I'm the Avatar! I've saved the world on numerous occasions! I'm the reincarnation of Aang-"

"You see Avatar, you may have HELPED save the world from Amon, but in reality his own brother was his downfall. You incited a civil war between the water tribes mere months later and then naively went AGAINST your master to open the spirit portals granting Unalaq unparalleled power. You KILLED the spirits of all the past avatars including Aang severing any familial ties you MIGHT have had with Tenzin—"

"I stopped Zaheer-"

"After foolishly walking right into his traps ten too many times against my best friend's orders. You called her a "bitter, lonely woman", got yourself captured and then expected her and her family to rescue you..."

"What about Kuvira-"

"Who stepped up to end the anarchy Zaheer unleashed on the Earth Kingdom when you disappeared for three years-"

"I was injured! You try having your body shot full of metallic poison!" Korra yelled defensively.

"I have, my dear Aunt Azula suggested it to my father when I was fourteen to build my inner strength and immunity," Izumi said cooly gazing into the avatar's eyes with an almost bored expression. "The poison was in me for three whole days. Yours was in you for an hour at most from the stories I've heard told. You are no hero nor leader, Korra, and you are not a friend to either the bride or the groom getting married. You're just an disrespectful pupil with a gross sense of entitlement. I suggest you leave now before I become more annoyed with you than I already am," Izumi said turning back to the next person in line.

"Ugh!"Korra yelled turning to leave.

"I think that went... well?" Mako asked.

"Korra, don't listen to her, she's-" Asami began to say.

"Right? I was rash and did defy orders— but I'm the Avatar and—"

"You were also just a child! Seventeen years old at the time!"

"And Aang was twelve when he defeated the Fire Lord, yet I can't seem to do anything right!"

"He always had help though,"

"And so did I, but they didn't stop me from being stupid and taking sides, and fighting without listening and waiting before I strike," Korra grumbled.

"Don't think so much about it. It is all in the past. You can't change that. The wedding will probably be boring anyways. Besides, it is just between two old people," Asami said patting Korra on the back.

"Yeah. Just the two most important old people in the world whose marriage will be the first to combine all four nations into one Union. No wonder their children are so powerful."

* * *

Xiaoyu pulled on green shorts and brown boots with a green t-shirt and beige tunic. She wrapped a thick brown leather belt around her small waist and tucked two fans into it just in case then slipped a few throwing knives up her sleeve and tucked a dagger into her boot before leaving for the city. She was on a mission to find Ding's Dumplings. Grandma Toph used to get them for Mom when she was a child. Aunt Kya and Aunt Zumi used them to make Lin feel better and then when they all left, Father took their place, bringing to her the dumplings on all of the bad days. Xiaoyu flew over the bay landing in an alleyway and then took the train to her mother's old neighborhood in the Terra Cotta district.

"Excuse me, Ma'am," Xiaoyu said approaching an old woman. The woman glanced at her.

"Oh hello, Lin, long time no see! How's your mom, doing? Staying out of the hospital, I hope!" the old lady said sweeping the floor of the shop.

"Um... Sorry? I'm not Lin," Xiaoyu replied hesitantly.

"You're not?" the lady looked up at her. "My, you do look remarkably like that girl. But it's been years. I'm sorry dear,"

Xiaoyu did remember Aunt Kya and Aunt Zumi always mentioning how Xiaoyu's resemblance was uncanny, and it even scared Pema one day. _This old lady must have known my mother_, Xiaoyu thought quickly. I_t wouldn't hurt to say_: "but, my mother is Lin. Lin Beifong." Xiaoyu informed the old woman. "I'm her daughter-"

The woman froze and turned around again, studying Xiaoyu's face closely. Tears welled up in the corners of her wrinkly and droopy eyes as she began to cry. "Has that much time passed since Little Lin Beifong passed by my shop? May I touch you dear?" The old lady asked reaching for Xiaoyu's face. "You look just like your mother, but you have your grandfather's eyes."

"But my grandfather had grey eyes,"

"Not the Avatar, the Engineer! Your mother's father," the old woman said becoming rather weepy.

"You knew him?"

"You didn't?"

"He passed away even before Mother was born. She didn't even know his name. Grandma Toph never spoke about him, even when asked," Xiaoyu explained.

"I never knew. It's a shame. He was a brilliant mind and a kind heart. It seems like just yesterday he was helping me restock and sweep the shop every afternoon. He stopped coming, then after a few years, Little Linny began doing the same. I thought he sent her, but I guess if what you say is true and dear Satoru died before Linny was born, then I should assume heart just runs in the family."

"Why did my mother stop coming?" Xiaoyu asked putting her hand over the old woman's bony fingers that rested on her smooth, youthful cheek.

"Well first, she was taken hostage by some Triple Threats when she was nine and held captive for a few days, then ended up in the hospital herself for about a month recovering, then her mother moved the whole family away hoping they wouldn't be found again," the old lady said turning back to her boxes.

"I'm sorry that happened. I have some time now, if you need help, or I can have someone come every afternoon. Really!"

"You're so sweet dear, just like your mother. What brings you to this part of the city today, my sweet?"

"I was hoping to find Ding's Dumplings if it is still in business. Ma's been feeling down and my aunt suggested it might cheer her up this morning. She said it is like her comfort food," Xiaoyu replied.

"I can take you to it. Just give me a second to lock up the shop. You don't happen to be a metalbender, do you?"

"I am not," Xiaoyu said a bit sadly.

"That's too bad."

"But!" Xiaoyu exclaimed thinking of another way she could be of service to the old woman. "If you were looking for a quicker way to close your shop though, I can still help with that," Xiaoyu said with a smile. She pushed the stand back through the store front and sent a wind current to unwind the metal fence that covered the stand, and clipped into the floor. Then she closed the door with another swing and sent a tiny swirling current to turn the lock.

"An airbender! So Linny DID get her little airhead afterall?" the old woman said gleefully. "Then why on earth are you wearing green dear girl?"

"So I can travel without the press or anyone else following me!"

"You are very bright, and clearly a very skilled airbender. How old are you child?"

"I am sixteen,"

"How come nobody told me our little Linny had a baby?"

"It was forbidden. The White Lotus didn't want to ruin Father's Image with Pema. My older siblings were earthbenders, you see and one of my big sisters, and I were not bending anything, so the White Lotus sent us away and had Father marry a non-bender to ensure his children would be airbenders."

"What a cruel cruel thing to do to Little Linny. Come on now let's get you to Ding's for your mother's dumplings," the old woman said.

"Thank you. Forgive me, I didn't catch your name," Xiaoyu said politely.

"You can call me Mrs. Tang,"

"Thank you, Mrs. Tang."

Mrs. Tang told Xiaoyu stories about her mother from when she was still an energetic and cheerful girl. "She lost most of that cheerfulness when she returned from Gaoling that first time and then lost her energy when she joined the police force but she kept her heart thankfully and we down here in the slums appreciate her greatly. You're a lucky girl, to have her as a mother,"

"I am," Xiaoyu agreed quietly.

* * *

Back at Air Temple Island, Izumi was getting restless receiving so many servants and hearing their progress with and qualms about the upcoming wedding. "I've been sitting for long enough. Mrs. Du could you take over for a while?" Izumi asked one of her personal servant from the Fire Nation Capital.

"Yes, your majesty," the woman said bowing, taking Izumi's place.

"I'm going to check on the dance," Izumi informed the servant.

As crazy as Unalaq was, he raised his children well. Eska and Desna were both exceptionally physically fit and respectful of their elders. Izumi watched them listen attentively to Suyin and Kya and replicate their motions with more height and beautiful precision. Izumi couldn't wait for the final performance complete with costumes and props.

"Excuse me, Aunt Zumzu, may I join you?" Kang asked landing beside Izumi with a light puff of air.

"Of course! But aren't you supposed to be practicing with the others?" Izumi asked genuinely curious

"Aunt Su decided I was too young and not good enough an air bender to do the exhibition. She said I lacked the fluidity and control of a dancer and that they only needed two benders of each element anyways," Kang sighed.

"Did you want to participate in the exhibition?" Izumi asked.

"I don't know. I guess I would have loved the opportunity to show dad my improvement since he last saw me fight and prove to him Mom's superior training method for airbending."

Izumi laughed. "I love how you and your sisters all are so proud that your mother taught you your airbending."

Kang didn't laugh but continued to brood.

"Kang, listen to me. You don't need an exhibition to prove your competence in airbending. Your father sees it every day in the pranks you play. He pretends to not like them— in fact, he pretends to despise them— but I know he's proud of you anyways."

"How?"

"Because, like Uncle Bumi, you know how to have fun, but unlike your Uncle Bumi, you are able get away before getting caught when you do your pranks. He's proud of you for being you and being able to free your heart and soul and play,"

"I don't understand. I'm still a kid right? Why wouldn't I play?"

"When your father was young, he was the only other airbender Besides Grandpa Aang. Your mother was the eldest daughter of Grandma Toph. Like me, they felt the weight of their parent's legacies since birth. We wasted our childhoods training and preparing to replace our parents in their respective positions in the global field even though they said we didn't have to. You are one of some-thirty or so airbenders, yet you feel no pressure to act a certain way to preserve anything or carry on your parents' legacy,"

"Maybe that's a bad thing,"

"No. It's not. It shows that you subconsciously know that your existence is enough to fulfill that obligation as a son of Tenzin. You're a light in the world and one exhibition is not necessary to keep you shining bright,"

"You think so?"

"I know. Come on. I know your father said no pranks today, but seeing as he's gone to the city and left me in charge, therefore I can revoke his order. But, you have to let me in on the action-"

Kang smiled a wickedly adorable grin that made Izumi miss when Iroh was fifteen. "OKAY!"

* * *

"Ding! Look who came to get some pork-chive dumplings!" Mrs. Tang called into the restaurant.

"Ahhh well, you know where to order, Linny!" Old Man Ding called.

"You old idiot! This isn't Lin! This is her daughter!" Mrs. Tang yelled at the old man.

"Blimey! Little Linny has a girl of her own?" Old Man Ding asked adjusting his incredibly thick spectacles.

"Three," Xiaoyu laughed. "Three girls and three boys."

"Has it been that long?" Ding asked hobbling over. Xiaoyu ran over to catch him before he fell.

"Apparently,"

"Now I see it! You've amber eyes. Like the fire in your blood. Linny's were emerald,"

"Her's are still emerald," Xiaoyu giggled.

"Of course. Well then, let's get you those dumplings shall we? Are you eating them in or taking them to your family?"

"I'm taking them home, I'm sorry. I'd love to stay, but I can't."

"Well that just means you'll have to come again!"

"Of course! Thank you, Mr. Ding!"

Xiaoyu sat with the old people chatting about life in the city while the cooks in the kitchen made the dumplings. Finally, they sent the sixteen year old home with four bags of thirty dumplings to share with her parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles staying on the island for the wedding preparations.

She secured them in a bag that she sealed shut then went to an alley way to get the glider she's hidden while she was in the city and flew back home.

* * *

Izumi and Kang raid the kitchen of sweet buns and make Bumi fall into a hole and then executed the deadliest of all. Scare Huifan with a spiorpion. Izumi blasts it with a tiny bolt of lightning to temporarily paralyze it while Kang guess string around its tail and they put it in the jewelry box Huifan was using for the raw materials for her mother's wedding accessories.

The entire island shook and cracked when she found it and the two laughed their heads off.

* * *

"Mom! I brought food for you!" Xiaoyu said slipping into her mother's room. The earthen tent was gone. "HUIFAN! WHERE IS MAMA!"

"MAIN HOUSE!" Huifan called from her bedroom where she was working on the wedding dress with Huan.

"THANKS!" Xiaoyu ran into the main house with her glider in her hand and her mail bag slung over her shoulder to find her mother, her aunts, and the Fire Lord all sitting around a perfectly round table playing mahjong.

"What is that smell?" Kya asked with her chin tilted up to the ceiling.

"It is so familiar!" Izumi said with a smile and a wink at Xiaoyu.

"Did you go to Ding's?" Suyin asked with a knowing smirk.

Xiaoyu pulled out the bags and passed them around. "For Mommy," Xiaoyu said sitting beside her mother looking at the tiles.

"Don't tell your siblings but you are the best!" Lin whispered in her ear, kissing her.

"I won't," Xiaoyu replied smiling. "Aunt Su, sorry I missed dance rehearsals this morning!" Xiaoyu said genuinely.

"It's alright, sweetie. Aunt Zumi explained your reasoning and she and Aunt Kya both assured me you pick up forms very quickly, so I am not worried." Suyin replied with a kind smile.

* * *

Back at the Sato Mansion, Korra was pacing, obviously still bothered by her earlier altercation with the Fire Lord.

"Maybe this isn't the right way to go about things. Why don't we try to properly make friends? Maybe not with Lin or Tenzin but with their children. The older ones are our age," Asami suggested to Korra setting down her pen upon noticing just how bothered her girlfriend still was over the events from that morning.

"I don't know, Huifan I know hates me," Korra sighed.

"That's because she doesn't know what she is missing," Asami replied standing up from her desk, looping her arms around Korra's left, squeezing tightly.

"Remember when Pema invaded the city and we were in the Misty Palms Oasis and they came asking for help and I kind of just dismissed it as a family matter that they needed to sort out?" Korra asked pensively.

"Yeah?" Asami asked.

"Well, my guess is that that wasn't exactly a good second impression," Korra commented.

"Second? What was the first?"

"When I came just for the Four Nation's Festival and not for the security preparations before hand," Korra replied. "They probably think I'm the most useless avatar ever!"

"You're not useless! Besides. What does it matter what they think you should have done at the festival? Mako said they didn't need help so that one wasn't your fault. Give them another chance and maybe they'll give you another chance!" Asami begged Korra.

"Alright, I'll try." Korra sighed

Korra sent invitations that morning for Hungjian, Huifan, Jinkun, Jiexue, and Xiaoyu, to come to the Sato Mansion for the day that Friday.

* * *

Back on Air Temple island, florists from Republic City presented dozens of flower samples to Jiexue and Opal who were in charge of the table decor int he reception area.

"They should be fire lilies!" Jiexue said.

"Panda lilies," Opal replied.

"FIRE LILIES!" Jiexue shot back firmly, stomping her foot forward into the ground with no effect, sometimes forgetting she couldn't bend the earth like her older sister.

"PANDA LILIES!" Opal yelled, sneering, leaning towards Jiexue challengingly.

"ENOUGH!" Ursa yelled doing a front flip off of a rock blasting a wheel of fire between Jiexue and Opal, causing them both to fight back. "If you can't agree on a STUPID FLOWER! Then there's only one way to solve it! I order you both to fight in AGNI KAI!"

Both airbenders turned to Ursa. "But... we're not firebenders," Jiexue and Opal said in unison staring at Ursa before shooting glances at each other in disagreement. .

"Then Airbender Kai. Whatever your people call a duel," the Fire Princess ordered folding her arms stubbornly.

"Airbenders don't have duels! We're a PEACEFUL people who are SUPPOSED to be able to solve our problems DIPLOMATICALLY! We swore an oath of non-aggression!" Opal said staring down Jiexue who only became more displeased with every word her cousin said.

"That's where you're wrong. YOU swore the oath because YOU were trained by my fuddy duddy father and he made you. I was trained by my mother who would have have NO PROBLEM with me challenging you to a duel for the Fire Lily." Jiexue said.

"But-"

"I guess you'll just have to defend yourself. That's allowed, right?" Jiexue said. She circled her hands and pointed her palm at Opal and slammed her thirty feet back and into a tree.

"Ugh!" Opal sprung up again and ran towards her cousin with one thing on her mind, revenge. A couple air acolytes and guest workers stopped to watch the fight that ensued. One went to get Huifan and her other siblings and cousins.

"What the flameo is going on?" Huifan asked Ursa when she arrived.

"The duel for the right lily," Ursa said with a smirk as Jiexue and Opal fought.

"Spirits! As long as they don't break anything then I won't intervene," Huifan said bending a chair for herself and her best friend.

Opal made a tornado but Jiexue dissipated it.

"Give up! I'm stronger than you'll ever be!" Jiexue yelled confidently.

"Don't get too cocky!" Opal said bending a modified air scooter in the form of a disc racing around Jiexue who bent herself up on a thirty foot air funnel and struck down from above knocking Opal off base a couple of times.

"What is happening?" Jinora asked appearing with Ikki and Meelo.

"The fight for the flowers for table center pieces," Ursa replied smugly watching on with bemusement.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" Meelo and Ikki cheered.

"Don't encourage them!" Jinora scolded swatting at her younger siblings.

"Come on, Lil' Sis! Show cousin Jiexue what you got!" Wei yelled appearing with Wing at his side.

"They've lost their minds, haven't they?" Xiaoyu asked walking up beside Jinora with a matching frown of disapproval.

"Damn, didn't know cousin Opal had such fire in her soul," Hungjian said arriving with Jinkun and Huan.

The eighteen and twenty year old both went up on air spouts trying to land a blow on the other, but they were evenly matched in agility and speed.

"WOOO HOOO! GO JIEXUE!" Lin called running over from the other side of the island with her little sister close on her heels.

"Lin! I can't believe you're encouraging this!" Suyin gasped.

"I can't believe you're not! As I recall, you were always starting the fights with me when we were younger, you evil little prodigy," Lin replied folding her arms and watching with great pride as her daughters battled her cousin at least thirty feet above them.

"But they're airbenders! They took an oath of non-agression," Suyin reminded Lin.

"Opal did. Not Jiexue. I merely urged Jiexue to practice non-aggressive problem solving but never required that she swear an oath or anything. Don't be angry with Opal. She's merely defending herself from my baby," Lin replied biting her lower lip, grinning proudly

"Ugh! What are they even fighting over?" Suyin asked the others over the loud winds.

"The flower selection for the tables centerpieces apparently, Jinora said with a disapproving scoff.

"Seriously?!" Suyin asked, her jaw droping..

"Yep! Jiexue wanted firelillies and Opal wanted pandalillies," Ursa added with a toothy grin.

"Flaming hog monkeys! Our kids are insane!" Suyin exclaimed to Lin, looking up and waiting for the rather... unnecessary fight to end.

* * *

"Pandalillies!" Opal yelled trying to get to Jiexue later that evening as Tenzin dragged both girls into the main house by their arms. His head was read with fury making him resemble more a ripe tomato with an arrow painted on the thing.

"Firelillies!" Jiexue argued trying to get to Opal.

"LAVENDER ROSES AND THAT IS FINAL!" Tenzin yelled shoving both girls onto the couch in the living room.

The fight had lasted the entire evening. Many had lost interest. Neither Opal nor Jiexue came close to tiring until Tenzin intervened.

"Hey, kids got mail!" Kya said coming in to the main house, saving Opal and Jiexue from a lecture about the peaceful customs of the Air Nomads.

"From who?" Jiexue asked.

"CEO of Future Industries, Asami Sato," Kya said tearing open the envelope.

"If it is addressed to 'the kids' then why are you reading it?" Opal asked frowning.

"Because I happen to be here. AWWWWWW I have to get everyone to hear this!" Kya said after skimming the letter. She ran to round up everybody. Jiexue, you and your siblings, minus Kang and the kiddos have been invited to the Sato Mansion for lunch and an afternoon of fun and exhilarating activities" Kya read aloud.

"When?" Jiexue asked.

"Tomorrow."

"TOMORROW IS FRIDAY!" THE WEDDING IS ON SATURDAY! WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO BE SOCIALIZING!" Huifan yelled.

"I think spending a day with the Avatar and the Sato Girl could be beneficial for you guys long term,..." Izumi chimed in with her arms folded.

"But I thought YOU HATED the Avatar, Aunt Zumi!" Huifan yelled.

"I do, but for my own reasons. That doesn't mean you should too," Izumi replied. "Ursa can go too,"

"Wait! What? No! Why?" Ursa protested.

"Suyin, help us out here," Kya said motioning to herself and Izumi against Huifan and Ursa.

"Huan can handle the final details of the dress. You kids go! Have fun!" Suyin insisted.

"Mom! You can't let them do this!" Huifan cried to Lin.

"You've been working long and hard for enough time. Take a break, my sweet and go to the Sato Mansion for the day with your siblings. That is an order," Lin said with both hands on her eldest daughter's shoulders.

"Ugh! Fine!" Huifan grumbled stubbornly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short and the next one will most likely be too. Then the 6th chapter will be just the wedding. Maybe I will have a 7th chapter with the honeymoon and the departure for the world so Lin and Tenzin can find a place to build their new home that caters to the needs of the earth and air within their souls.
> 
> I also want to incorporate more Korrasami, Kainora, and Bopal later on in this journey, but don't exactly know how or where to yet. The focus has been more on the dynamic of this immensely large family and the rivalries between the cousins, different branches of Beifong. Different branches of Tenzin's kids. Different airbending training histories.
> 
> BTW the new cover art, is all TEN of Tenzin's children looking adorably epic in chibi form. The earth and air symbol is the same one carved into both of Lin's betrothal necklaces (the old one was obsidian, and the new one is jade if you don't remember from 'Lives Forgotten'.). If you would like to see a high resolution version of the cover art, it is posted on DeviantArt and Tumblr both under the user 'zhenyilani' and on Instagram under both linzin_ftw, and jensaaart.
> 
> I hope you are still enjoying this story/AU world. Please let me know what you think in the reviews or in the DMS. Btw, still looking for ships for my Linzin babies. Shoot over some OCs or suggestions if you would like. I'm thinking of Eska 'claiming' Hungjian or something. Tell me if that sounds stupid. I hope you enjoy this story!


	5. Chapter 5

The Sato Mansion was also built on a mountain side, like the Beifong Estate; however, unlike the Beifong Estate, the Sato Mansion was built by engineers and not earthbenders. There were over eight levels of lavish buildings that lead up the mountain to the main resident house whereas the Beifong estate only had two levels, and massive underground training facilities and arenas. Their mother was never one for anything that wasn't "essential".

"Is grander than our place," Jiexue noted looking out the window as Luong pulled up to the golden gate of the home of the Avatar and Future Industries' CEO.

"But far less protected," Huifan replied as she stepped one foot out of the vehicle and touched the ground, scanning the entire mountain with her seismic sense seeing a suspicious lack of guards or any other form of security.

"So glad you could make it!" Asami exclaimed running down the drive to greet the Beifong Children.

"Shouldn't you be working?" Hungjian asked the CEO of future industries.

"Eh, I've already put in fifty hours this week and it's already Friday! I could use the break!" Asami shrugged casually.

"Were they fifty good hours or fifty half-ass hours?" Huifan asked looking most unamused.

Korra sneered but Huifan shrugged.

Asami didn't flinch at all. "Good hours!" She said with the sweetest smile. "Now come on. I heard our former Chief taught you all know how to drive a satomobile. I was wondering if you'd like join me in a race around the company's track where we test all of our models pre-release," Asami invited them.

Huifan and Hungjian shrugged at each other and lead the way for their siblings to follow them as they accompanied Asami through her massive estate.

* * *

The race was rather... intense, to say the least. Huifan and Hungjian banked their turns with their earthbending and Jiexue used an air booster while Asami employed an array secret features on her car while Jinkun and Xiaoyu were the only ones who raced fairly just between each other without boosters of any kind, comparing only their handling. Korra sat out, offering to be the final referee. Huifan won followed soon by Asami, Jiexue and then Hungjian before Jinkun and Xiaoyu pulled in simultaneously.

Just then Bolin and Mako arrived.

"I've never known a Chief Of Police to take so much time off," Hunjian commented shaking hands with the firebender merrily.

"Well, thanks to your family, the city is at peace now and with Raiko gone, everything has been rather easy," Mako said in an attempt to flatter them.

Huifan froze at the sound of the former president's name.

"Is she okay?" Korra asked Jiexue.

"She's-" Jiexue paused.

"I'll take care of her," Xiaoyu said leading her big sister to the bathroom.

"What happened?" Korra asked.

"During Pema's assault on Republic City, Huifan accompanied Mother and some others to the top floor of Cabbage Corp's headquarters where they discovered the bitch and her cronies coordinating the attack and..." Hungjian stopped, unable to continue the story..

"Raiko had a brother who was apparently a bloodbender. They tried to rape my sister," Jiexue said with her arms folded. "And my sister treats trauma like my mom and grandmother. Just the mention of a name can trigger complete paralysis."

"...or in life threatening situations slight insanity and a fit of uncontrollable, lethal bending." Jinkun added.

After a moment of terse silence, Bolin spoke. "So who is ready for lunch, I'm starving!" Bolin exclaimed trying to lighten the mood.

"Me!" Hungjian raised his hand quickly, thankful for the quick subject change to something more lively.

* * *

The meal began nearly completely silent with the exception of an occasional clanking of dishes being passed and chopsticks hitting the inside of bowls until Xiaoyu returned with Huifan. They both sat down without a word.

"So now that you guys are essentially free to roam the world, will you or is there a particular occupation you'd like to pursue?" Asami asked genuinely curious.

"I want to start a new league of airbenders who understand the importance of cross-training and value knowledge and understanding greatly. I want my new league of airbenders to actually travel and don't just isolate themselves atop mountains and under cliffs in caves. We will become _real_ Air Nomads and rival my father's class of like... thirty lily-livered, sitting turtleducks!" Jiexue said enthusiastically glancing at Xiaoyu who shrugged with a frown on her face.

"I'm torn. I want to join either the police force or the United Forces and help protect people, BUT I also want to stay with my family and protect them while they travel the world trying to find their home," Hungjian announced.

"Same. I want to put my skills to use every where I can, but helping Ma and Dad rebuild their new home is my top priority, wherever it ends up being," Huifan said looking down at her food, not hungry.

"Well my chosen occupation can be done anywhere there is Earth. Some passing seafaring merchants the other day contacted the Air Temple Island asking who sculpted the badgermoles and sky bison on the side of the spare slab of land and ask me to do a few sculptures for the captain's mansion in Ba Sing Se. I can carve the pieces anywhere and have them shipped to their final destination in the Earth Kingdom Capital City," Jinkun said with a satisfied grin on his face.

"That's fascinating. Do you think you could make a few sculptures for the Sato Mansion?" Asami asked.

"It depends how big you want it, what you want it to be, how soon you need it, and how much you're willing to pay for it," Jinkun said.

"Nice one!" Bolin said snapping his fingers and winking at Jinkun.

"How about you, Xiaoyu?" Korra asked.

"I want to stay by my mother and train some under my father. I feel like it could be helpful to see if Mama missed something when training our airbending. She was really good and I am grateful for her efforts to teach, but she is still no airbending master," Xiaoyu said.

Jiexue frowned.

"We don't need any instruction from that old man," the elder airbending sister growled.

"That 'old man' is our father and the oldest airbending master alive! You can't just learn everything from transcribing scrolls and copying drawings no matter how long you practice!" Xiaoyu yelled a little bit angry, but not at all surprised by her sister's lack of respect. Huifan's spite had definitely rubbed off on the elder airbending sister.

"I can try!" Jiexue argued slamming her fists on the table, leaning forward.

"Cut it out, you two! Miss Sato didn't invite us here so you could bicker about whose airbending teaching method is better!" Jinkun yelled.

Huifan looked up. "Why **_did_** you invite us here?" Huifan asked Asami.

"We just wanted to get to know you guys a little better. I mean, we knew your parents and... well we _thought_ we knew your parents and..." Asami began to explain.

"We wanted to make up for not helping defend Republic City from the invasion," Korra answered.

"With a lunch and a couple of 'fun' activities?" Huifan asked.

"Look what can we — or I do to earn your forgiveness?" Korra asked. "Because Asami has been nothing but kind to you!"

"Acknowledge your faults like the rest of us mere mortals and try to better them," Huifan replied.

"That was a little harsh, Fa-ni," Jinkun whispered.

"I do acknowledge my flaws!" Korra yelled defensively.

"Then try to amend them!"

"How?"

"Listen before acting,"

"Okay-"

"And apologize to your masters for dismissing your efforts and only ever wanting to do things YOUR way-"

Korra shuddered and turn away. "FINE! I'll resume my airbending and spiritual training, happy?" she said glaring at Huifan.

"I'm never really happy," Huifan said with her eyes narrowed.

"Back down," Hungjian whispered to Huifan as she glared at Korra.

"I HAVE AN IDEA! Korra, did you know that ever since Huifan was fifteen years old and read in the newspaper about you passing your mastery exams in earthbending, she's wanted to spar you," Jiexue said.

"What?" Korra asked completely blown away by the information for only a second before the surprise died completely.

Huifan shot her little sister a murderous look.

"Well if you want to have an earth rumble after lunch, we do have a nice open field just beyond the race track we could use," Asami offered.

"I'm down," Korra said shrugging.

"I'm going to kill you before we get home!" Huifan growled at her little sister who just smiled.

"Hey! I know you like fighting. I'm trying to help keep you from burning the bridges Aunt Zuzu wants us to build! Remember? Just because she hates the Avatar doesn't mean we have to too. Besides, when's the last time you've actually had a sparring partner who can keep up with you?" Jiexie asked.

"Fine, I'll fight," Huifan growled slouching in her chair, folding her arms grumpily.

* * *

After lunch they walked out to the sparring range.

Korra took off her outer most few layers while Huifan waited just watching her.

"Let's not make this an earth rumble," Huifan said to the avatar.

"Why now? You're only an earthbender, and you don't have much experience fighting people other than your siblings and aunts."

"And you think that can stop me from kicking your ass?" Huifan asked.

Korra glanced up at Huifan obviously not understanding. A smart fighter learns from his own mistakes. A wise one learns from the mistakes of others. They have shared with me many of their faults and missteps on the battlefield. You may have fought in more wars than me, Avatar, but I still doub't you are anywhere near as experienced," Huifan explained simply.

"Don't get overconfident," Hungjian warmed her from his seat in the stands. .

"Tell the avatar that," Huifan replied to her brother.

They made a field and poured water in it for Korra to use. Korra started with fire and HuiFan remembered sparring with Izumi. The Fire lord was always so creative with her combinations seamlessly weaving lighting and blue fire into every rather fluid attack and every defensive maneuver. Korra just threw basic punches and kicks as if she were still in the probending ring and this was just a game.. Sometimes that was sufficient to win a fight and sometimes... it wasn't.

Huifan tunneled, sinking into the earth and raising up back to back with Korra. She turned one way and Huifan turned the same then stepped back and knocked the Avatar onto her face.

Korra threw a rock that Huifan fought and hurried Korra with instantly. She did a few back handsprings to get distance and give the avatar a break. Korra vent a water wheel around her body and whipped a stream towards Huifan. The earthbender dove over the first waterwhip and rolled under the second one and threw dirt into the stream and with her earthbending. She bent the mud into a wheel around her waist matching the avatar's waterbending technique.

"Huh?" Korra thought moving back slightly. Huifan used the brief moment of bewilderment as the perfect opening to blast the avatar with a muddy hose throwing her fifty feet back.

"Where'd you learn that?" Korra demanded standing up, examining her soiled clothing before earth and waterbending it all off of her.

"Aunt Kya could bend mud by the water in the mixture. So I thought why can't I bend the same thing by the earth within it." Huifan explained.

Korra tried air then. She rose up on a spout and rained fire from above. Huifan created an earthen shelter then from behind it flung two metal strips out from behind it that locked around Korra's waist and yanked her down towards the earth.

"Ooof!" the avatar grunted.

"I thought aunt Su taught you how to bend metal! What? Can't get it off now?" Huifan asked standing over Korra, playing with her by holding the metal in place as the avatar tried in vain to pull it off.

"What are you?" Korra asked when Huifan's grip slackened allowing Korra to remove the blindfold.

"I am the greatest earthbender in the world, and don't you forget it," Huifan replied throwing Korra towards Asami and recalling the metal strip. "Okay. I'm satisfied," Huifan said dusting herself off with one pull of the arms. "Korra, did you know one of Jiexue's favorite activities is glider races? You should go with her now!"

"Hey!" Jiexue shrieked standing up.

"You brought it on yourself!" Huifan replied stomping towards her sister.

"Is the rest of the day going to be spent letting the Linzin kids humiliating me by proving their superiority?" Korra asked her girlfriend in barely a whisper blowing a lock of hair out of her face as Asami stroked the side of Korra's head compassionately with one hand and cupping her chin with the other.

Asami giggled. "It will help keep you in shape. And don't feel bad. You're still learning. I read that Avatar Roku didn't master the last element until he was thirty seven years old and graying slightly."

"And I heard from Toph that even SHE doesn't consider herself a master of earthbending. I'm never going to master anything,"

"Not with that attitude, Korra,"

"But on the flip side, I'm over confident,"

"Then find something in between. Say to yourself, I will learn something new every day to get closer to mastery!" Asami said with a smile.

"Thank you, Sweetie," Korra said sitting up to reach Asami's lips for a kiss.

"No, thank you!" Asami said breaking the kiss.

"For what?" Korra asked.

"Being my lady!" Asami whispered kissing Korra this time.

"When you finish up making out, are we ready to race? You can use Xiaoyu's glider since none of feel like waiting for you to go get your own from wherever you have it stored in that spirit damned resort of an estate," Jiexue said holding two gliders impatiently.

"Coming!" Korra said jumping up.

"Show them what you got!" Asami said encouragingly smiling at Korra as she ran over to the eighteen year old airbending daughter of Lin and Tenzin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> K, this chapter is incredibly short, but honestly, most of the preparations are done on the island. You know what that means! Coming up next, SHIPS SAILING! XD Bahahahahahaha... I hope I don't let you down... Sorry if the next chapter takes a while to come out. School started again today. Math with three dimensional shit, Chemistry, and Physics are being mean to me... Well, until next time, happy reading.
> 
> P.S. I hope my version of Korrasami isn't too... cringe-y (I wanted Korra to be kind of the stubborn and temperamental one and Asami loving and supportive and calming and wanting to help Korra make friends with the Linzin Babies). Also, since Korra, is really competitive I thought she might enjoy fighting Huifan or racing Jiexue. Even though Korra lost the sparring match, she won't be discouraged and will actually show her stubbornness and strength and motivation to beat everybody and start training again which the Linzin Babies will admire greatly and then maybe they could be friends. MAYBE! (no promises on Korra or Korrasami becoming a reoccurring thing yet in this series)
> 
> THANK YOU FOR READING and LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK of this story:)))


	6. Chapter 6

The temperature was mild, the winds were not to high. All of the flowers looked perfect, and the food prepared on time. Three additional ferries had been rented to shuttle guests to the island starting at 9AM.

Izumi was the first person awake on the island determined to make the day perfect for her best friend. It was like the Fire Lord was in fifteen places at once. She personally oversaw all of the last minute preparations, then she personally made sure all members of the bride and groom's family were awake on time and where they were supposed to be.

In the Beifong Residence on Air Temple Island, Kya was responsible for ensuring that all the daughters of Lin and Tenzin looked presentable for the day. Then she went to make sure all of the sons, and their cousins were helping with setting up some furniture and reinforcing some structures before they went to get ready. The boys didn't need as much time.

"I knew we shouldn't have spent yesterday partying at the Sato Estate!" Hungjian exclaimed kicking a building up on the spare island.

"Now, now, you DID make a friend didn't you?" Izumi asked.

Hungjian merely growled and kicked up an outhouse and earthbent a hole for the drainage.

Just then, Izumi felt a pair of arms snake around her waist. Only one soul in the entire world ever braved doing such a thing to the current Fire Lord.

"Saru? Shouldn't you be off... drinking with Bumi or something?" Izumi asked folding her arms over his.

"I assure you, I was," he replied, his breath reeking of cactus juice. "But then I received news that my sister was missing."

Izumi paused to think. "For once, I really hope you're talking about Su," Izumi replied.

"For once, I wish I was the one missing too, Suyin said appearing in full battle armor.

"Flaming hog, monkeys!" Izumi cursed. "YOU THREE BETTER BE DONE WITH THAT BATH HOUSE BY THE TIME I RETURN OR I'LL HAVE YOU ALL TURNED INTO BARBECUED BADGERMOLE AND EAT YOU FOR MY MAIN COURSE!" Izumi threatened the boys running off with Masaru and Suyin.

* * *

Kya was fixing Huifan's hair when Izumi and Suyin entered the room both wearing battle armor.

"Are we under attack?" Huifan asked looking up from Jinora's hair.

"No, but forgive the intrusion. We must steal your aunt Kya for a very special task," Suyin answered gently.

"What happened?" Jiexue asked climbing down from the bed where she was helping Ikki with her hair.

"Uncle Saru just reported to us that your mother has fled to the city," Suyin answered.

"What?" Xiaoyu gasped. "Why?" the sixteen-year-old asked turning frantically to her older sisters.

"We don't know." Suyin replied.

"It appears Little Linny has come down with a severe case of cold feet," Izumi suggested.

"Like frostbite?" Ikki asked innocently.

"It's an expression used when someone loses confidence in something and backs out at the last second," Jiexue corrected her.

"But the wedding is in an hour!" Jinora exclaimed.

"Which is why we must hurry." Izumi said. "Kya, you know it is going to take all of us to detain Lin when she's in the state of not 'not wanting to do something'," Izumi reminded her friend.

"Maybe we should help too!" Huifan said finishing Jinora's hair, standing up, and beckoning her belt with cables to her hand and snapping it around her waist over her dress robes for the wedding.

"Absolutely not! You all need to stay here and help the younger girls finish getting ready. Aunt Kya is all we three will need at the moment. It will be enough," Suyin reassured her niece.

"Well then, good luck finding mother!" Huifan said sadly returning her belt to the peg on the wall of her room.

"Don't worry. We've tracked her before. It is easy. We'll be back soon, I promise!" Kya said waving.

* * *

Kya, Izumi, Suyin, and Masaru barged into her penthouse office at Earthen Fire Headquarters.

"I can't do this," Lin said looking out her window at the skyline of the city spanning the valley surrounding Yue Bay.

"Lin, you've done it before. You can do it again!" Suyin said referring to the marriage happening.

"This is different. Only family came to a small, private ceremony in the Patola Mountain Range. This time it's so much bigger and with so much publicity! I saw the guest list and seating arrangements. Izumi went and invited all four nations for Oma's sake!" Lin exclaimed with a shaking voice.

"No, I didn't. I invited all the people who've helped you. There's a difference. Suyin helped me identify the officers who used to watch you two and play games with you at the station. Tenzin helped me with find your old police academy mates. Xiaoyu met Mrs. Tang, the shop keeper you used to help with restocking her shelves at the end of every day. They're family too, Lin. They're all family and they all love you. They are so proud of how far you've come and want to be here to support you and celebrate this day!" Izumi insisted.

"But- so much has changed-" Lin whispered.

"Nothing has changed! Pretend as if the last forty years never happened. Just focus on today. You're getting married! You should be happy!" Izumi urged.

"Then why do I feel so afraid?" Lin asked.

"Because you're being a stupid little girl," Suyin answered. "I see we're going to have to do this the hard way," Suyin said cracking her knuckles. "Saru, help me out here, Brother."

"I'd be glad to," Masaru said walking to the opposite side of Lin as Su.

Lin turned away from the window as both of her siblings took a fighting stance. Kya bent the water out of her sleeve while Izumi stood behind the waterbender with her hand folded tidily behind her back, waiting patiently.

"Get her," Izumi ordered. Lin rolled under her desk dodging water, earth, and fire and trapped herself in a makeshift metal container. She could feel Suyin prying at the same material she held under her control. The little sister of Lin did manage to make a crack in the metal desk allowing Kya to bend water into it cracks and widen it just enough for Masaru to stick a hand in.

"I'd rather not have to cook you alive on your wedding day, little sister," Masaru said lighting a hand on fire in front of Lin's face.

Lin threw the entire desk up cutting Masaru's forearm a bit on accident before she bolted for the door, running right into Izumi's arms. The Fire Lord was taller, and stronger from years of "capturing" this same stubborn little badgermole.

"Excellent work, friends." Izumi said holding Lin's hostage and walking her towards the door. "Saru, will you take her?"

"Sure thing!" Masaru said hoisting his sister onto his shoulder.

Lin huffed and blew a lock of hair out of her face.

Izumi opened the door. "Does anyone have a problem with us taking your CEO for a day?" Izumi asked.

Every receptionist in the room shook their head, glancing uncertainly at the Fire Lord then the Earth Queen, the daughter of the Last Avatar, and then the owner of the other half of their company carrying Lin.

"Good." Izumi said continuing to walk towards the lift.

* * *

"Uncle Bumi! Do you know if my Aunties have returned with my mother yet?" Huifan asked finding her Uncle Bumi already drunk lounging on a couch in the main house.

"They have not but knowing Izumi, I'm sure they're already on her way," Bumi said with an ear-to-ear grin. Just then, the ground began to tremble.

Huifan's eyes widened with excitement.

"You're right! I can feel Aunt Su tunneling beneath us and Mom pelting her with pebbles!" Huifan said laughing. "And Uncle Saru is carrying her like a sack of grain!"

"I want to see that!" Bumi exclaimed leaping to his feet, falling on his face, and stumbling out the door after his niece.

Huifan stomped her foot on the ground and flipped it over, dropping herself and Bumi into the labyrinth beneath the island. "This way, Uncle Bumi!" Huifan exclaimed.

"Uh, dear niece, you do remember I can't see with my feet even when I am sober, right?" Bumi said miserably.

"Oh yeah, Aunt ZUMI!" Huifan called down the tunnels. "Can we have light? I've brought Uncle Bumi with me!"

Izumi lit her hand and illuminated the entire hall with a cool red light.

"There they are!" Huifan said running over to them with Bumi close at her heel.

"You're still not dressed yet!" Kya said with a frown looking at Huifan with disappointment.

"I went to add a small something to Mom's dress but then I got distracted by Meelo and Ikki who were ruining their dress robes while racing Wing and Wei who were SUPPOSED to be constructing the bath house apparently and—"

"I'll go take care of them," Suyin said placing a calming hand on Izumi's shoulder as she visibly started releasing steam. "Kya, will you take this girl to finish getting dressed." Suyin asked Kya, nodding towards Huifan. "Izumi, you got Lin?"

"For the first part, but we will still need a metalbender in the end," Izumi reminded Suyin.

"I'll be quick-" Suyin reassured Izumi.

"I am not deaf you know!" Lin yelled with her chin propped up on her fist and her elbow perched on Masaru's shoulder.

Bumi snickered at the sight of the formerly formidable Chief of Police slung over her brother's shoulder like a sack of potato.

"Come on, Huifan, help us out of here," Suyin said. She and Huifan took identical stances and raised the group up though the earth to the surface of Air Temple Island.

"Why were you tunneling in the first place?" Huifan asked her maternal aunt.

"We wanted to protect what little pride your mother had left," Suyin explained in a rather loud whisper in Huifan's ear.

"Hey, I HEARD THAT!" Lin yelled as Masaru carried her inside.

"Come on, Sweetie. Let's go get you dressed," Kya said putting an arm over Huifan's shoulders leading her to the Beifong Residence where the other girls were all getting ready.

* * *

"Can we dye your hair?" Suyin asked running into the room where Izumi was helping Lin get ready.

"Why? So I could look like the spitting image of your hipster son?" Lin asked.

Suyin frowned. "Green isn't the only option. There are natural color dyes too, you know," Suyin said.

"Whatever. Do what you want, since I am now too old to try to over power you all once," Lin grumbled sitting down in a chair, pulling the pin out of her wavy, graying hair which hadn't been trimmed in over six months. Lin folded her arms and closed her eyes.

Suyin smiled at Izumi who smirked deviously.

* * *

"There, you're beautiful," Kya said finishing with Huifan's clothing. She wore flowing light green and gold robes with gold thread in the seams. Her arms were adorned with golden bracelets and her hair with golden bands and a golden ring around her bun.

"Thank you, Aunt Kya," Huifan said looking in the mirror.

"Wait!" Kya called. "Your father had these made for each of you," Kya said lifting a string of beads over Huifan's head. The center medallion had the symbol of the earth kingdom with three swirls instead of one signifying the union of earth and air.

Huifan hugged Kya. "Where am I needed next? Do you know?"

"I believe Uncle Saru and Uncle Bumi will want photos of their beautiful nieces and nephews." Kya replied.

"Okay. They're easy enough to find. Bumi's drunk already, so all I have to look for is the man already on all fours," Huifan said shrugging. Kya smiled and pressed her hand to her head laughing inside. Typical Bumi.

* * *

In the main house, Kya used her waterbending to dye Lin's hair quickly while Suyin wrestled Lin into her wedding gown and Izumi did Lin's make up.

"What if it doesn't fit me?" Lin asked in a minor panic once the first layer of the bodice was one but not closed in the back..

"It's made mostly of metal; I don't think that will be an issue," Suyin said stepping back and making a pulling motion closing the bodice around her older sister's torso and sealing it shut, eliciting a gasp from Lin.

"I hate you all!" Lin yelled holding her diaphragm until her lungs became accustomed to the restriction.

"Oh Lin, that's old news! Tell us something new!" Suyin smiled wrapping the remaining layers around her sister's body before bending the final layer of metal onto the pale yellow gown. The hems and sleeves boasted over ten pounds of solid gold shaped into delicate vines and leaves that snaked along every hem on three inch wide fields of green. the body and skirt had two additional mesh layers that were cream and another shade of green.

"Is it done yet?" Lin asked looking in the mirror with apprehension.

"Almost," Izumi said lifting a giant puffy ball of something that was covered in white powder.

"Wait! What is-" Lin began to protest raising her hands to cover her face. Suyin yanked Lin's hands down as Izumi thrust the big thing towards her.

POOF!

*cough*cough*

* * *

"We could not be more lucky with the weather, AND the lighting!" Masaru said snapping away with his polaroid camera, capturing all of his nephews and nieces from Lin's branch of the family.

"Wow," Tenzin breathed coming over with Baatar Sr. "You all look amazing!"

"Dad!" Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan yelled running over to him.

"Hey Uncle Baatar!" Hungjian and Huifan waved.

"Daddy, look! We're all matching!" Rohan exclaimed showing Tenzin the necklace he got from aunt Kya twirling around so his father could see.

"Wow! it looks great, son!" Tenzin said picking up Rohan. He looked over at his children with Lin. They all looked so grown, so strong and elegant, standing together.

"Oh no! He's going to start tearbending!" Jiexue yelled ducking as her siblings laughed.

"Why are you sad, Daddy?" Rohan asked touching the old airbender's wrinkling face.

"I'm not sad. I am very happy," Tenzin said to his four-year-old son with his free hand on Ikki's back while the eleven year old hugged him.

"We're all happy too, Daddy, but we're not crying," Jinora said looking up at her father dressed in fine airbender mastery robes of her own with a sash over one shoulder.

"Well when you are all old like me, you too will become a crying mess when you see your babies growing up so nicely," Tenzin replied wiping his eyes.

Hungjian, Xiaoyu Kang, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo laughed while Huifan, Jinkun, and Jiexue, rolled their eyes.

"How's your mother, Huifan, do you know?" Tenzin asked. "I heard she ran away this morning."

Huifan shrugged. "She got cold feet, but don't worry, I'm sure Izumi's warmed them sufficiently," Huifan replied with a smirk that Tenzin found more concerning than reassuring.

"That doesn't sound too good," Tenzin said. "I should probably go to her—"

"No! Dad! You can't see her before the ceremony!" Jinora said grabbing her father's hand.

"I've been married to her before! There's nothing to hide from me, so it makes no difference!" Tenzin said pulling away.

"But you'll be breaking tradition and you LOVE traditions! Jiexue, Xiaoyu, help me!" Jinora said.

"But Aunt Kya said no bending in our dress robes!" Xiaoyu said.

"She just doesn't want us to get them dirty!" Huifan said sliding her foot across the ground with a rather mysterious grin and her eyes down. "Jinora, Ikki, step away from your Father, please!"

The girls jumped and Huifan encased her father's feet in earth.

Tenzin frowned. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes," Huifan said giggling with her siblings.

"Nice one, dear niece!" Bumi said high-fiving Huifan enthusiastically as everyone else, even Baatar laughed.

* * *

"Hey, Kids, may I have a moment alone with Lin outside?" a coarse voice asked knocking on the door frame of the room where Kya, Izumi, and Suyin were still dolling up Lin.

"Mom?" Suyin asked looking up from Lin's make-up covered face.

"Chief?" Lin turned with astonishment.

"But Aunt Toph, we don't want anyone to see her yet," Izumi said.

"Why? She looks the same to me," Toph replied.

Izumi adjusted her glasses impatiently. "I mean the other people on the island, the guests."

"I keep her away from everyone, don't worry," Toph said extending a hand for her daughter to take, not wanting to bother feeling for their exact location on the wooden floors.

"Go," Kya ordered Lin who followed her mother out of the main house nervously.

"You came again from the swamp to the city," Lin commented walking with her mother through the south side of the island.

"Sugar Queen made me," Toph said.

"Oh," Lin sighed sadly.

"I'm just kidding!" Toph said jabbing her daughter in the arm. "I asked her to come get me on her way up here. I wanted to tell you something. Something I know I haven't told you nearly enough growing up."

Lin turned to her mother curiously.

"You did good, kid," Toph said ceasing her steps turning to face her daughter with her unseeing eyes.

Lin smiled.

"And..." Toph paused to catch her breath and took her daughter's hands in hers.

Lin froze. She wasn't done yet?

"And I'm proud of you. I am proud of you for forgiving Saru and Su for leaving our family, for letting them be such a big part of your life now, for not giving up on them entirely. I wanted to apologize to you. If it weren't for me, you would have a father to walk you down that isle today and give you away to that little airhead you love so dearly... it's all my fault and...I am sorry."

"No! Ma! You're wrong, believe it or not. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even exist! It's not your fault he died. Penga told us what happened on the airship that day and I understand why you told Uncle Sokka not to tell me what happened. I understand that you didn't want me to feel the pain of losing some one I never got the pleasure of knowing!" Lin said bending down to hug her mother.

"I never wanted it to be this way," Toph said squeezing Lin's hands lightly.

"What is done is done, but we still have today," Lin said bending down to embrace her mother.

Just as Lin released Toph and stood up again Toph punched Lin who, in fine silks, had no armor to protect her from the blow.

"Ow! What was that for?" Lin asked rubbing the spot that she could feel bruising pretty much immediately.

"That was so you don't forget how WE show affection!" Toph replied with a wicked grin of satisfaction. Then she bent Lin towards her the metal she wore and hugged her daughter, really hugged her, then kissed the top of her veiled head. "And that is how Twinkle Toes' family shoes affection. Now don't forget the difference, and don't fuck it up again with Junior baldy," Toph yelled.

"Mom!" Lin shrieked.

"I mean— I hope you two have a very happy and fulfilling life together. You deserve it." Toph said genuinely. "And Lin, I hope you don't feel any obligation to stay in Republic City or with Earthen Fire Works. Don't worry about our legacy. The greatest things I THINK you have accomplished, have all been done outside of the force. Do what you want to do, Little Linny. If that's spending the rest of your days chasing after those ten kiddos, do it! Love them, learn them and don't let them escape you like I did with _Saru, you and Su_. Have the family I failed to maintain and don't let ANYTHING divide you," Toph ordered Lin.

Lin bent down and hugged her mother again with tears in her eyes. "I will, Mom"

"And Lin, I know it may not mean much coming from an old woman like me, but you look beautiful today," Toph said tucking a single loose hair of Lin's back into the low bun that Kya crafted at the base of Lin's neck.

Lin laughed with tears in her eyes. "But mother, you can't see," Lin reminded the elderly woman.

"But your father can from wherever he is, and he tells me, in here," Toph said with a hand over her heart.

"Su and Zumzu will be angry with me for ruining my make-up," Lin said dabbing at the tears in her eyes with her sleeve. "Spirits, I've stained the silks!"

"Su and Zumzu can shove their feet up each other's asses. It is okay to cry, Linny," Toph said rubbing circles on Lin's back like when she was a baby.

Toph cupped Lin's face in her leathery, skeletal hands. "Now go finish getting ready. The sooner you get this ceremony done, the sooner I can hit the cactus juice and give Sugar Queen a real run for her money."

"I didn't know Aunt Katara drinks now," Lin laughed.

"Oh Lin, you don't know a lot of things," Toph laughed guiding her daughter back to the main house, dodging several people and earthbending several others away before they could see Lin before the ceremony.

* * *

"Ugh! Mom! You made her cry?!" Suyin scolded with annoyance fixing Lin's make up in a hurry.

"And then she's gone and stained her sleeve! Kya! Water please!" Izumi called lifting Lin's hand with a critical eye while Toph stood in the door frame laughing as Lin rolled her eyes.

"Why even bother trying to remedy anything? I assure you, wit won't be the first time my first girl cries today. There really is no point to the face paint." Toph grumbled.

Izumi growled.

"I'm going to find the Sugar Queen." Toph said leaving.

"There! Done!" Suyin said finishing the winged eyeliner.

"Sleeve's cleaned!" Kya announced standing up.

"Great! Kya, why don't you go assemble the wedding party," Izumi suggested. "I will do a final inspection and then come. We should be ready in precisely six minutes."

"Alright!" Kya said fleeing.

* * *

Kya ran to find Bumi, the best man, Masaru and Baatar, the groomsmen. Then she found Rohan and gave him the rings and sent a bunch of Air Acolytes to tell everyone to start taking their seats and then went to go get her friends.

"Wait! Kya! Where's Tenzin?" Masaru asked.

"What kind of question is that? Weren't you photographing him with his children?" Kya asked.

"Yeah, but then after Huifan released him— he said he had to check on something and we haven't seen him since,"

"Fuck! We don't have time for this!" Kya went over to Huifan who sat in the front row. "We need your seismic sense to find your father,"

"What? First mom and now him?! Maybe they don't really want to get married,"

"They do, trust me. They've been planning their lives together since they could walk. It was incredibly boring! Just find him!"

"Pacing in the tunnels on the south side," Huifan said.

"K, thanks," Kya said grabbing Bumi on her way to find Tenzin.

"Why me?"

"You can airbend us down there without ruing your clothing. I can't waterbend down there without smudging the dyes in mine!"

"Ugh, fine!" Bumi said jumping down.

"I can't do this—" Tenzin confessed to his bother

"Why not?" Bumi asked.

"The world is watching!"

"So? They've been watching since we were birth. We are the children of the last avatar- of course the world is curious, but that hasn't stopped us from being us, has it?"

"I suppose not."

"Tenzin you've always wanted to do this, openly, and now you can. You're finally free to call Lin the love of your life before anybody and everybody. Your children will finally be acknowledged..."

Tenzin didn't seem any less worried. "-But what if they become targets for ransom once people learn they are the children of both Lin and me?"

"Tenzin, the children that descend from BOTH Lin and You are practically full grown adults now. They're all master benders of their respective elements and several sub elements. I am sure they can protect themselves from anybody" Bumi said. "You're safe, Tenzin. Now come on! Lin is ready and everyone else is waiting. This unnecessary paranoia didn't help you when your kids were babes and it certainly won't help now that they're grown." Bumi added throwing an arm over Tenzin's shoulders.

"You're right," Tenzin sighed.

"Of course I am! NOW LET'S GO GET YOU MARRIED!" Bumi yelled, leading him back to the wedding ceremony area.

* * *

A full sized orchestra played music while Tenzin walked down the isle alone followed by Rohan who threw petals and carried rings for his dad and aunt Lin.

Next, the best man, Bumi walked arm in arm with the Maid of Honor, Izumi followed by Masaru linked with his sister, Suyin and Baatar holding Kya's hand contently.

Then they waited for Lin.

Toph had scrounged up some halfway decent dress robes for the occasion and insisted on walking her daughter down the isle, offering to carve herself a dick out of stone if anyone took issue with her being a mom instead of a dad. "I can be both!" the inventor of metalbending exclaimed.

The entire party held their breath at the sight of their former Esteemed Chief Of Police of Republic City draped in flowing layers of pale yellow and pale green with gold and silver woven into the hems and seams of every layer and wrapping. Her hair was darkened to its original color and tightly pulled back into a low bun, showing off her sharp cheekbones and beautiful jawline. Her scars were made lighter by the face powder that Izumi dabbed all over her, her brilliant green eyes highlighted with fine liner.

Lin couldn't take the stares and instead looked down at her feet. For the first time ever, a basic, silent crowd made Lin Beifong want nothing more than to crawl into into a dark hole and remain there for the rest of eternity.

"You're okay," Toph said squeezing her daughter's hand.

"But... can't we walk a little faster? Everyone's looking at me!" Lin whispered urgently.

"Of course they are! You're gorgeous and you're getting married!" Toph replied walking even slower holding Lin back. "And I like seeing you squirm uncomfortably!"

Lin frowned at her mother who simply laughed, not caring at all what people thought of _HER_. Lin grimaced. Why did she have to get stuck with Toph for a mom?

Finally they reached the altar. Toph placed Lin's hand into Tenzin's then as a joke, she whipped out a pair of platinum handcuffs and bound them together.

"Mom!" Lin shrieked pulling at it, trying to get at her mother, almost making herself and Tenzin fall off the altar her as the entire wedding party broke out in a series of uncontrollable laughter.

"My job is done!" Toph said doing Sokka's signature 'water tribe' hand gesture before taking her seat in the front row between Fire Lord Zuko and the Sugar Queen of the old Gaang leaving Lin doubled over, petrified with humiliation, trying to hide the cuffs.

"Nice one, Aunty!" Kya yelled.

"That's hot, Chief!" Bumi added elbowing Masaru who couldn't hide the smile on his face.

"Tenzin, don't be surprised if I kill BOTH of your siblings," Lin whispered dangerously, still kneeling down with her arm hidden in the folds of her skirts as Tenzin kneeled beside her to avoid his wrist being broken.

"I got you, Mom," Huifan said bending the platinum cuffs unlocked with a flick of her wrist.

Both Lin and Tenzin rubbed the raw spot glaring at Toph and then took each other's hands again.

Once every one had recovered from Toph's joke on the marrying couple, the marriage officiant, an old air acolyte spoke.

"Today, we are all gathered before spirits and man to celebrate the coming together of not just two people, but all four nations. Love, is just as essential as the earth on which we stand, the fire that fuels passion, that the air that we need to breathe, and the water that gives life to everybody. Through grueling decades of trials and triumphs, the enduring love between these two has never faltered. Through separation and reunification, each's understanding of the other's needs has only increased. These two stand testament to the saying that if if love is true, it will find a way.

"Now for the vows. Grand master Tenzin of the Air Nation, son of Avatar Aang of the Southern Air Temple and Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, take the Lady and Master Lin Beifong Of Republic City and Gaoling, daughter of Toph Beifong and Satoru Lee, to have and to hold, through sickness and in health, through thick and thin until the spirit portals destroy the material world?

"I do."

"And do you promise to love her, and her children all equally, to help them all grow, to share with them all that you know until the end of the world?"

"I do.

The officiating turned to Lin who was controlling her tears well as she held Tenzin's hands.

"Do you, Lady and Master Lin Beifong Of Republic City and Gaoling, daughter of Toph Beifong and Satoru Lee take Grand master Tenzin of the Air Nation, son of Avatar Aang of the Southern Air Temple and Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, to have and to hold, through sickness and in health, through thick and thin until the spirit portals destroy the material world?"

"I do," Lin managed to say in a barely audible whisper.

"And do you promise to love all of his children as if they were your own, to help them learn and grow and to share with them everything you know, until the end of the world?"

"I do!" Lin said a little louder.

"Master Tenzin, you may now kiss your bride."

In one sweeping motion, Tenzin stepped forward, putting one hand behind the base of Lin's neck and the other behind her cinched waist and pulled her against him. His lips came down on hers with an unexpected desperation. In that kiss, he poured over one and a half decades of suppressed love and missed opportunities.

For an instant, Lin was completely at his mercy, unable to breathe while his lips smothered hers. By the time he let go, her arms were shaking and her vision blurry.

"Will you ever STOP airbending inside of me when you do that?" she whispered so only he could hear as she held her dizzy head with one hand.

"No," he replied with a smirk, holding her close.

Lin and Tenzin turned beaming at the crowd, Tenzin with one hand around Lin's waist. She forced a gracious smile when she wanted nothing more than to return her attention to Tenzin and keep kissing.

Then without warning, he whipped them both up thirty feet into an air tunnel as she screamed. "Are you insane?"

"I got you! Don't worry!" Tenzin said holding her tightly. "I'll never let go, Linny," Tenzin said kissing her again. "I just wanted some privacy, and I know you did too" he said coming down on her lips for a third time.

"I appreciate the thought, but when I think of privacy, thirty feet up in plain sight hasn't ever come to mind," Lin replied with both hands on his overly large ears as she gazed into his grey blue eyes.

"I know you would prefer we go to one of those dark tunnels underground, but then I wouldn't get to see my beautiful wife looking back at me," Tenzin said with a smile.

* * *

While everyone moved to the reception area, Eska, Desna, Huifan, Hungjian, Jiexue, Xiaoyu, Ursa, and Iroh went to change into their performance costumes. They would be the last number in the line-up that Suyin assembled.

"So are you ready for the performance, Eska?" Jiexue asked the northern chieftain as she pinned up her braid.

"Does it make a difference if I am or not? We can't get out of it." Eska replied 'fixing' her already horrendous eyeliner.

"If you didn't want to do the performance, then why did you come?" Jiexue asked checking her lip gloss.

"Because the Earth Queen and the Fire Lord threatened to melt the tundra if we didn't," Eska replied plainly.

"Sounds like Mom," Ursa muttered taking a sip of tea, already done getting ready.

"What? Why didn't you tell us?" Xiaoyu asked spinning in her chair.

"Why would I need to? Its a rather... generous offer. If I were in her position and wanted something done, I would have threatened to steal my navy, my firstborn son and THEN rain fire from above and melt the tundra," Eska replied with the most bored tone.

Xiaoyu frowned.

"Is there anything you truly enjoy doing?" Jiexue asked curiously..

"Yes, building secret prisons and observing interactions between such uncultured peasant foreigners as yourself," Eska replied.

"We're NOT peasants," Jiexue yelled standing up.

"Well you're not heir to anything. You're just a fourth born child of a-"

"I am the ELDEST child of the Oldest Airbending Master still living!"

"Who won't even have any authority over her father's thirty or so airbenders in training since she is so bent on forming a faction of her own that will actually travel the world spreading joy and good fortune to undeserving and lazy-"

"Let's just go to the stage and get this over with!" Jiexue growled storming out of the room.

Ursa, Huifan, and Xiaoyu followed glancing at Eska on their way out who took a moment by herself, sighed and then too walked out.

* * *

Eska and Desna opened that final number with a series of acrobatic flips starting from opposite directions of the stage bringing with each limb, a steady stream of waterbending, finishing side by side on one knee with their heads down and their water swirling around them in a donut.

Huifan and Hungjian came next each with a metal cable extending from one hand and a series of rocks from large to small following the other. They bent up earthen platforms with each landing, changing the shape of the stage for the next pair of performers.

Iroh and Usa flew into the scene with fire blasting out of their feet. They landed on the back of the raised platforms that made a tilted but circular formation and did the dragon dance finishing with a massive tornado of rainbow flames.

Last to come out were Jiexue and Xiaoyu. They rode onto the stage on vertical air discs then jumped crossing in the air. They landed in a roll then kicked up in a series of effortless turns on their shoulders and hands creating a pair of massive hurricanes before standing again.

To finish off the dance, they all performed the same form that incorperated techniques from all four bending styles while maintaining their elements and sub elements trailing them. They ended with a splash from Eska and Desna on the ground level, then Huifan and Hungjian lifted up everyone else in order of the avatar cycle by their elements. Jiexue and Xiaoyu created a dust cloud and then Iroh and Ursa shot lightning at the sky.

The eight performers received a standing ovation from everybody.

"Does this mean we can go eat now?" Hungjian asked.

"Yes," Suyin said coming onto the stage to dismiss them and give some speech about international cooperation that really nobody listened to since the food had arrived by then.

* * *

At the head table, Masaru, Suyin, Bumi, Katara, Lin, Tenzin, Toph, Izumi, Baatar, and Kya sat watching everybody.

"I don't understand," Baatar said pensively.

"What is there to understand?" Izumi asked lifting a cup or arbor red wine to her lips not looking at Baatar.

"Why can't I just sit with my wife?" Baatar asked.

"You're a groomsman," Kya responded.

"What does that have to do with anything? Su's just another bride's maid," Baatar replied looking down at the other end of the table where Suyin and Bumi were engaged in some really dangerous game that involved using their bending to get wine into each other's mouths. Masaru laughed while Katara was too busy talking to Lin to notice what was happening.

"It is tradition to alternate. Maybe it was established back when marriages were arranged and the families of the bride and groom didn't go back two generations and friends five decades," Izumi answered.

"Hm..." Baatar sighed lifting a piece of salmon sashimi to his mouth.

"So, Baatar Of Zaofu, tell us your story," Izumi said.

Kya interrupted, "Now Izumi, you don't need to interrogate him like a criminal at Lin's wedding."

"I'm not interrogating him like a criminal." Izumi replied turning to Kya. "We have a long day ahead of us and I'd just like to get to know who I am sitting next to," She explained. Then she lowered her gaze and her bangs fell out from behind her ear and covered her face. "and the family I am marrying into through Masaru," Izumi added quietly with another sip of wine before tucking them back again.

Kya and Baatar both had almost forgotten Masaru had proposed in Ba Sing Se a month ago when they were all relaxing at the Jasmine Dragon after the Siege Of Republic City. Was Izumi actually afraid of something?

"How about this, Fire Lord Izumi, you tell me your story, and I'll tell you mine," Baatar offered.

Kya gasped.

"I beg your pardon?" Izumi coughed.

"I mean it!" Baatar insisted.

"Well—What's there to know? I'm the daughter of Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Mai. Raised primarily in the palace and sent to Great Uncle Iroh during summers to learn the art of tea making and acquaint myself with the common man." Izumi answered.

"Yes, we all know that, but who are YOU? What are your concerns regarding my family?"

"I- I don't know," Izumi replied.

"You think we're hiding something!" Toph exclaimed spitting out her cactus juice from the other side of Izumi.

Katara and Lin looked up, Tenzin turned in their direction, Masaru heard from all the way at the end of the table, and Baatar and Kya's eyes both went wide and their jaws dropped.

"Or at least that Baatar is," Toph added taking another sip, setting her glass down and keeping her unseeing eyes pointed ahead.

"I just-" Izumi said quietly.

"Wait, it isn't Baatar who is hiding anything! You are!" Toph said turning to lean her elbow on the table and 'look' at Izumi.

"So what if I'm hiding something? YOU didn't tell your own daughter about her father OR brother for fifty four years! She had to learn from Penga! And you! My sources tell me you didn't even find out Su was a Beifong until your wedding!" Izumi yelled standing up and leaving the head table, throwing her chair off her platform.

"What did you do?!" Lin asked her mother accusingly.

"Why are you looking at me?" Toph asked innocently.

"Let her go, she's- we've both had a lot on our minds lately," Masaru said to the group.

* * *

At the first large round table, Huan, Huifan, Jinkun, Jiexue, Korra, Asami, Mako, Xiaoyu, Eska, Desna, Ursa, and Iroh sat.

"I thought you two weren't invited," Ursa said venemously to Korra and Asami.

"We worked some things through," Huifan shrugged.

"Just because your mother hates Korra doesn't mean you have to," Xiaoyu reminded the princess.

"You should have come. We got to kick the Avatar's Ass at SO many things! She can't even generate OR redirect lightning!" Jiexue announced enthusiastically.

"Thanks for the reminder," Korra muttered.

Ursa laughed.

"Don't let them get to you. You don't need lightning to be great, sweetie," Asami said encouragingly to korra, reaching for her hand.

With a lift of her wrist, Jiexue flung the avatar into the air by her chair and slid over to Asami as Korra landed on her chair in her old spot. "You don't get to hold her hand because she is MY plus one today," Jiexue said smiling smugly.

It was a good thing Asami wasn't a bender and didn't have any electric gloves because at that moment, Jiexue would have been roasted alive.

"Uh, Huifan, I think Asami is going to kill your little sister," Mako warned Huifan.

"I'd like to see the Sato girl try," Huifan replied taking a sip of 1% cactus juice. Mako turned to look at her. She sat up straight and proud as she watched her little sister torment Korra and Asami. Her face didn't show it but she was highly amused by her little sister's antics.

It was the third real time he got to look at the earthbending prodigy up close. The first time, she had thrown all of his police officers into Yue Bay by their own armor. The second time, she took over his security sweep before the festival, and after it, saved the day. And this third time, she wasn't fighting. She was just watching and she was really,

"... really pretty," Mako breathed.

"Did you say something?" Huifan asked turning to Mako with green eyes that could burn into his soul. She was frowning now.

"No! I just- I meant that- er- the performance you did earlier was great!" Mako stuttered nervously looking away.

"You're a terrible liar, do you know that?" Huifan asked with one foot on the ground.

Stupid, Mako! the Police Chief thought to himself.

"Fortunately, you're still cute, and from what I've heard, a brave and an excellent firebender," Huifan added also looking away.

"Really?! You think so?" Mako asked sheepishly.

"Mhm!" Huifan nodded.

Mako let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey! Do you want to do a mock probending match later with some of the others? I was thinking Ursa, Eska and Me against you, Hungjian, and Desna-"

"Honestly, that doesn't sound like a probending match, that sounds like a slaughter," Mako replied.

"Because it is" Huifan said sipping her drink again.

"Then why did you suggest it?"

"That suggestion was simply a test to make sure you're not as daft as I initially thought back when you followed you-know-who so minlessly," Huifan said watching Jiexue sit at the table between Korra and Asami.

Mako let out a sigh of relief.

"Wait! Was that an insult?" Mako asked suddenly.

Huifan laughed. "On second though, maybe you are rather daft..." she said with a wicked grin.

* * *

"Eska, may I speak with you alone please?" Desna asked his sister.

"Of course, Desna," Eska replied standing and following her brother to a less populated part of the spare island beside the non-cactus juice infused drinks.

"I've been thinking lately about marriage," Desna began to say.

"As have I," Eska replied.

"And I think it is time we discussed our potential mates,"

"Who have you been eying?" Eska asked.

"You go first,"

"Hungjian,"

"It is a good choice. Do you think he will consent?"

"Does he have to?" Eska asked.

"You have a point,"

"Now for you,"

"The Fire Lord," Desna replied.

"Are you sure?" Eska asked turning to her brother.

"Yes. Her willingness to go to war to ensure her best friend's wedding is perfect, is admirable to say the least. A marriage with a member of the royal Fire Nation family would ensure peace with the Northern Water Tribe for longer than the currently promised forty years."

"But the Fire Lord is old. She most likely cannot bear you children."

"She doesn't need to, I can find myself a consort or something,"

Eska thought for a moment. "Alright, I can see the political benefits, and I approve. Though I have just the slightest feeling she will take more convincing than Hungjian to accept you,"

"I've already thought of that,"

"So how will you approach her?"

"She is not the only one with a side-eye glance, and a beautiful jaw and chin so sharp it could puncture the hull of an imperial class Fire Nation battle ship,"

"Good luck, Desna,"

"And you, Eska,"

"I believe it is time we-"

"-split,"

* * *

"So..." Eska said approaching Hungjian at the drink bar.

"Hey," Hungjian said turning with a cup of 2% cactus juice.

"I heard you were single-"

"Well I'm not seeing anybody but at the same time, I'm not exactly looking..."

"Well, in that case, I'll look for you and since it appears to be the season of weddings," Eska said pulling out a betrothal necklace with a skull and crossbones in lieu of a pendant.

Hungjian dropped his glass and bolted. "I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU NOR DO I CARE IF YOU ARE A CHIEF OF THE NORTHERN FUCKING WATER TRIBE!" Hungjian yelled fleeing.

* * *

"Oh dear!" Katara said to Lin seeing Hungjian run past with Eska on his tail like a pair of children playing tag.

Lin laughed. "I can't believe how old they are, flirting with others and defending whole cities. It's... it's-"

"The most wonderful thing any mother could ever see. I know Linny, I know. I felt the exact same way every time I saw you and Tenzin together. It makes me sooooo happy to see you thriving!" Katara said putting a hand on Lin's shoulder.

The earthbender started crying again.

"Spirits, Lin! Since when did you get so sobby? You're ruining everything!" Suyin said stumbling over to fix her make up again.

"And you're surprised?" Lin asked trying to bat away her little sister's pesky hand. "Mom's right! Don't even bother trying to fix my makeup. This probably won't be the last time today."

"You may not care about your appearance, but you're my sister and I can't have you looking like a psycho ice princess on your wedding day!" Suyin replied.

"Hey Aunt Toph!" Bumi called down the table. "Have you seen our dear little Zumzu? I was hoping to ask if she'd be willing to have a one-night stand before tying the knot with Masar-" *gag*

Masaru had shoved his napkin into Bumi's mouth. "Suyin, dear sister, when you're done fixing Lin's face, will you please drink Bumi under the table so I don't have to hear the mention of any more foul topics in the same sentence as my fiancée's name?" the firebending half-brother of Suyin and full brother to Lin asked, standing up and brushing off his dress robes. "I am off to find my lady."

"If you would like to save time, you could ask Huifan to locate her instantly," Suyin suggested.

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you," Masaru replied.

* * *

"Fire Lord Izumi, I didn't expect you to be out here," Desna said looking down at the ruler of the Fire Nation where she sat on one of the badgermoles Jinkun carved out of the cliffside facing Republic City across Yue Bay.

"I needed space to think," the woman responded flatly as she looked over the water.

"It's not safe for a Lady to be out here alone though. We should go back to the party."

"I appreciate your concern, Chief Desna, but I am no Lady. I am a Lord," Izumi replied not looking at him.

"I understand, but-"

"No, you don't understand."

"Forgive me, for misspeaking," Desna apologized.

"Just ask what you want of me, then leave. I would like some time alone," Izumi ordered impatiently.

"Very well. With the exception of your father's reign, the history between the Fire Nation and the Northern Water Tribe has been rather... strained..."

"Only because of your father," Izumi replied passive aggressively before silently cursing herself for losing her composure.

"My sister and I very much appreciate yours and the Earth Queen's invitation for us to participate in that performance today promising forty years of peace."

"And..."

"I was hoping we could discuss the possibility of a marriage binding our two families to guarantee the peace for our nations will last generations."

"Unfortunately, times have changed, Chief Desna. I will not arrange a marriage for any member of my family to you or your sister. My eldest son has sworn his life to the United Forces and the bettering of _our country_ and while my daughter is expected to marry, will be allowed to marry who she will, when she will, on _her own terms_."

"I understand that, which is why I did not even consider them when thinking of the following proposal: Fire Lord Izumi, will **_you_** marry me?"

Izumi stood up on the back of the stone badgermole and jumped up onto the cliff before Desna. He had a betrothal necklace ready and everything. She looked at him with pity. This poor child knows nothing.

"Sorry, but I could never accept. I have already married once _for my nation_ and made myself swear to never do so again." Izumi said walking past him straight to another man her own age that Desna had only seen a couple of times before.

"Saru," Izumi acknowledged without accepting his hand.

"You alright?" Masaru asked as Izumi lifted her skirts and climbed over some jagged rocks on her own to get to the path back to the party.

"I'm fine. We should get back to Lin and Tenzin and convince them to have a honeymoon or something of the sort before our— wedding," she whispered.

"Did Chief Desna Just try to— propose to you?" Masaru asked curiously.

"Yes."

"What did you say?" Masaru asked.

"No, obviously," Izumi replied.

"Perhaps we should announce our engagement before our ceremony," Masaru suggested.

"No. If Lin and Tenzin could marry in a week, then so can we,"

"But they're not leaders of an entire country—"

"Tenzin is," Izumi replied.

"Tenzin is a leader of some thirty airbenders and a couple hundred Air acolytes. You have hundreds of millions under your rule."

"I know. I just need time to think," Izumi replied.

* * *

"Are you sure now is a good time to take a honeymoon?" Lin asked Izumi.

"Yes! You've worked your whole lives. You've definitely earned it. And you have six kids who are grown masters and three more who are exceptionally capable and talented who can keep the littlest one safe and—" Izumi listed out.

"I don't know. It wouldn't seem right now that we are officially, in the public eye, together to separate so soon. I feel like we should stay a family."

"We ARE staying a family. Family watches out for each other. You guys need the break!" Huifan emphasized. "We can hold down the islands just fine!"

"Alright," Lin relented.

"Where would you like to go?" Tenzin asked Lin.

"I don't know. Somewhere quiet, probably,"

"Well you have until tomorrow morning to decide before we kick you off the island!" Suyin interjected reaching across an unconscious Bumi to steal Lin's champagne.

"What did happen to your brother, Tenzin?" Izumi asked noticing Bumi's limp form bent over the table with his head in his rice plate.

"He was making some inappropriate comments about you, so Saru asked Su to drink him under the table." Tenzin replied with a sigh of disapproval.

Izumi laughed. "That's just typical Bumi," Kya said with a smirk.

"And typical Saru," Izumi added smiling at her fiancé.

* * *

Once the reception was officially over, Lin and Tenzin gave one final statement to the press that included their official marriage announcement and the birth dates and first names of their six shared children and nothing more.

Later that evening, Lin and Tenzin both signed their approval on six documents to give to their lawyer to change their shared children's surnames from Beifong back to Tenzin's little known, never used surname, Yeshe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY! That is it for the Linzin Wedding!
> 
> I am SO SO SO sorry that I didn't get any Bopal or Kainora in here, but I did get some Jiexue messing with Korrasami (Jiexue is not interested in Korra in any romantic kind of way, she just didn't really like formal occasions after her mother's retirement party in "Lives Forgotten" was so boring).
> 
> I did not intend for there to be so much Masaru and Izumi when this is kinda supposed to be a Linzin thing.
> 
> I loved Toph's scenes in this (but sadly didn't get around to her drinking competition with Katara, only Suyin vs. Bumi).
> 
> Also, I am sorry about Eska and Desna's proposals. My friend, aangfire on Instagram, came up with this incredible ship, Desumi (Desna and Izumi) that I just had to include (albeit on a more semi-serious note than her humorous approach to Desna's attraction for Izumi).
> 
> Let me know what you think of this chapter, pleassssse!
> 
> Also, THIS IS NOT THE END (as it was orignally going to be). Next chapter will be the end for this story.
> 
> Then it will shift gears and go to the Fire Nation, where the Linzin Family will begin their search for a new homeland and help plan Izumi and Masaru's wedding. All goes smoothly until the wedding preparations must be halted to find out why a couple hundred of young, unskilled and impoverished firebenders from some of the outer islands of the Fire Nation that have gone missing are suddenly found to be connected.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to MusicPlayer81 for Beta-ing the first probably 90% of this chapter! You are the best!
> 
> (also, if you wonder what the Linzin Babies look like (including the OCs), I drew them ALL in the cover art for this story!)

* * *

"You're sure you'll be okay for a few days?" Lin asked from Oogi's saddle.

"Yes, Mom, we'll be fine! We can hold down the fort!" Huifan reassured her mother.

"We're only occupying an island in peacetime. No biggie!" Hungjian said confidently, folding his muscular arms.

"If you have any problems, Aunt Kya and Uncle Bumi are close by," Lin reminded them.

"And if there ARE problems, you have Aunt Zumzu and Uncle Saru's direct contact line!" Tenzin added.

"And Aunt Su's," Lin remembered. "Oh! And Miss Penga at Earthen Fire and Peng and Luong at the Beifong Estate in Republic City. They're geographically closer, and probably as equally helpful as Uncle Saru and Aunt Zumi in the event of an emergency. Be safe, children!"

"We will! Now leave! Go have fun on your honeymoon!" Huifan said shooing Oogi off the island.

"Alright. Oogi, yip yip!" Tenzin said, cracking Oogi's reins.

"Don't forget to play with Rohan!" Lin called from the back of Oogi's saddle.

"We won't!"

"And never leave the stove unattended when lit!"

"We won't!"

"And try not to burn down the island!"

"We won't!"

"We will be fine, now GOODBYE!" Huifan yelled with a certain confidence in her voice that put Lin only a little more at ease.

"Goodbye!" Kang, Jinora, Meelo, and Rohan yelled, waving to their parents.

"Have a great time!" Ikki added.

"Goodbye, my loves" Lin said, waving back sadly.

* * *

"So where should we go?" Lin asked Tenzin once they were well over the bay.

"Somewhere quiet, where we can sleep, and not worry,"

"Heh, yeah not worry. Sure, they're only our children... alone… on your island... with YOUR crazy siblings. It is nothing to worry about at all. I am sure they'll be just fine!" Lin muttered under her breath, holding onto the edge of the saddle, with a death grip, gazing down at the island they were leaving for a week.

"They have the Air Acolytes," Tenzin reminded Lin.

"In the event of an emergency, the Air Acolytes are about as useful as chains anchoring a swimmer to the bottom of the bay-"

"Thank you, Lin for the compliment," Tenzin muttered. Lin smiled at him passive-aggressively then turned her gaze back to the island.

"I don't like leaving them," she said quietly as they flew further away.

Tenzin turned to her. She looked so peaceful there in the sunrise. Her blackened hair made her look at least two decades younger. The wind lapped at her glowing pale skin. She was beautiful, and she was entirely his. Neither of them had a job.

Only their children, each other, and all the time in the world.

"It's just for a week," Tenzin said. Lin looked down into the saddle and fumbled through one of the packs for a jacket or blanket or maybe even a rock. "Oogi, why don't you decide where we take our honeymoon," Tenzin said, climbing back into the saddle.

In one fell swoop of airbending, he wrapped his arms and cloak around her and warmed the space around them. "Better?" he asked holding her arms tight against his chest, tucking her head into the crook of his neck.

"Much, thank you," she replied curling up smaller in his arms.

* * *

"So what do we do now?" Jinora asked Huifan.

"Why are you asking me?" Huifan asked.

"I don't know. You're usually the bossy-pants," Jinora replied.

Huifan frowned. "I don't know. Meditate or something? Just do what you normally do when Dad goes to work with the Council. In the meantime, I'm going to be practicing my bending on the beach."

"I'm going to go work on a sculpture that I'm selling to some wealthy businessman in Ba Sing Se. I got a whole bunch of commission requests from various wedding guests after they saw the badgermoles and sky bison on the cliff side of the spare island from the ferry," Jinkun shrugged humbly. "I guess they really like that kind of thing."

"I'm going to go pick my toes," Hungjian informed his siblings.

"I think I'm going to hit the temple libraries, see if there's anything left about Air Nomad culture or bending that I don't know," Jiexue alerted everybody.

"Maybe humility?" Jinora whispered to Xiaoyu with a smirk.

"Careful or you'll become just as savage as them, Jinora," Xiaoyu replied quietly with a smile.

"I'm going to go make some fruit pies! Dad did promise we could make as many as we wanted after the wedding, and the wedding is over! Wanna come?" he asked his younger siblings, knowing full well his older siblings would not want to participate in his childish schemes.

"Sure!" Ikki and Meelo exclaimed.

"Can I come too?" Rohan asked quietly.

"Of course! We would love to have you!" Kang said with the warmest smile bending down to Rohan's level.

"So I guess it's just you and me, Xiaoyu," Jinora sighed sadly kicking a pebble.

"You know, I don't mind that," Xiaoyu replied walking towards the docks slowly. "Would you like to come into town with me? So we can just... talk without somebody barging in unexpectedly?"

"Do you think Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan be okay?" Jinora asked hesitantly.

"With Kang? It depends on how you define 'okay'. My mother would probably say yes, and your father would say no. But I'm sure he won't get them killed if that's why you're worried about. And with Huifan, Jiexue, and Hungjian on the island, they'll be safe, from outsiders, definitely," Xiaoyu replied.

Jinora thought for a brief moment. "Sure, I'll go."

Jinora changed into Earth Kingdom clothes and Xiaoyu changed into Fire Nation robes and they flew over the bay on their gliders to a place Xiaoyu knew.

"This is the Terra Cotta district. It houses a nice mixture of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation citizens very much like the original colony here of Yu Dao, so we'll be able to blend in easily. Apparently Grandma Toph used to live here with her first husband, her son, and later my mom and aunt." Xiaoyu said. "Before Mom was captured by the Terra Triad for a few days. Then they had to move away for safety,"

"That is so sad," Jinora said, her face downcast.

"It is all behind us. They're all with us now, aren't they?" Xiaoyu asked.

"They are," Jinora said quietly.

"Do you like dumplings? They have vegetarian options."

Jinora shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

* * *

When they got to the restaurant, Xiaoyu automatically went behind the counter and pulled out a menu for Jinora and served her own tea.

"You serve yourself here?" Jinora asked shockingly.

"Just my mom and me. She came so often that as a courtesy to the busy servers, she bussed herself and family. They trusted her completely," Xiaoyu explained.

"And now they trust you," Jinora said with a warm smile.

"They do, don't they?" Xiaoyu laughed. "I think Mrs. Tang and Old Man Ding have vision problems. Sometimes they think I AM my mom, even when I wear Fire Nation clothes."

"You do look A LOT like her except for your eyes," Jinora commented.

"Apparently they're my grandfather's; he was Fire Nation, if you can believe it."

"Who knew there would come a day when one person would have blood from all four nations coursing through their veins?"

"Yeah," Xiaoyu sighed, picking up her cup of tea. "I guess it is kind of is a little extraordinary." Xiaoyu turned to Jinora took they took their seats in the back of the restaurant. "Jinora, are you excited or anxious about moving away with everyone and leaving Air Temple Island as soon as our parents return?"

"I don't know, honestly. I mean, Air Temple Island was kind of like its own micro-utopia. I loved growing up there, but now that I am older and more mature, I can see just how much pain it caused our parents, and that makes me really want to leave. Every time I walk through the main house it hurts, because it reminds me of my mother and the devastation she wreaked on the Earth Kingdom and United Republic simply as a result of overwhelming jealousy. And on top of that, I feel so uncertain about what the future may bring since we really DON'T know where we are going!"

"Yeah, that part worries me too, but look on the bright side. We will be real air nomads, and soon!" Xiaoyu said taking her little sister's hands in hers. "We will be traveling the world, and helping people, and maybe even building a new Air Temple or a new city like my Aunt Su!"

Jinora smiled. "You're right. It does sound exciting, but I thought you didn't want to be a real Air Nomad. I thought you wanted to be a swamp airbender or something."

"That's just Jiexue. I swear, she's an earthbender in an airbender's body. She just says that to justify her aggressive disposition to people not in the family. I'm not like that," Xiaoyu sighed.

"Were you ever?"

"I don't think so. We were always so close when we were little and the only two non-benders in the family. We relied on each other so much. Then one day, when Ursa and Huifan went to play a game with their bending, Jiexue wanted to follow. I knew it was a stupid game. Someone was going to get hurt. Jiexue was too much smaller and younger than them but insisted she was strong enough. I didn't partake. She got burned and then got lectured by Mom AND Aunt Izumi for her recklessness. She can't accept that she's different from Huifan and Ursa. That she's not strong enough. She became addicted to knowledge for the sake of besting her enemies. I'm surprised we didn't end up fighting her in the most recent battle for Republic City-all she ever tries to do is make her airbending more powerful. I think it is stupid to meddle in things you don't understand."

"Not always. Where would we be if your grandmother didn't meddle with metal?"

Xiaoyu sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Xiaoyu, can I ask for your advice?" Jinora asked.

"Sure? I'm not sure how helpful I would be, considering I haven't much experience outside the estate or had the opportunity to mingle with people other than the house staff up until you found our humble abode that day."

"No, it's not like that. It's just, do you like us?"

"What do you mean? Of course I like you! All of you and your siblings, and I know all of mine do too even if Jian and Huifan and Jiexue don't always show their affection. We're family!"

"I know, it's just that... when cleaning out he main house a few weeks ago for Bumi and Kya to move in, I found a photograph I thought was rather curious. It was of my mother and some guy I had never see with three kids-I don't know if they would be worth bringing into the fold."

"You think your mother had other children?"

"I mean, after finding out my Dad did with Aunt Lin I don't know what to believe anymore."

"Do you want to find them?" Xiaoyu asked.

"That's just the thing. I mean, I'm so glad Meelo knew about your mom's secret estate and we've had a lot of crazy and fun adventures together, but my mom was driven to insanity with jealousy, and I don't know if this guy might too-"

"Well, you have to keep one thing in mind. Your mom watched my dad act like an idiot for months spending so much time with my mom. It's not like this guy will have to endure watching his ex-whatever traipse around with my father," Xiaoyu said. "Do you want more siblings?"

"I don't know. Not necessarily to live with us, but if they're blood, I'd want to know that they're okay," Jinora explained.

"Makes sense. Do you have the photograph?"

"Yeah," Jinora said, pulling it out. Xiaoyu barely glanced at it before flipping it over and skimming the page for indents or remnants of writing.

"Their clothing looks rather... odd, don't you think?" Xiaoyu asked.

"It doesn't look like anything from the four nations we know," Jinora observes.

"Or maybe it's a combination of a couple of nations?"

"Do you think the library might have a book of fashion from the four nations throughout the ages?"

"I know they have a book on fashion from the four nations throughout the ages. It was one of Jiexue's requested books years ago. Of course I read a lot of them too since there wasn't much else to do on the Estate, but we can go see. Hopefully someone doesn't have it checked out right now," Xiaoyu replied.

* * *

"Woah!"

"This is almost as big as Wan Shi Tong's Library!" Jinora gasped.

"You've been there?" Xiaoyu asked.

"Yeah. When I went in looking for Korra in the spirit world about three years ago, I met him there, then Unalaq showed up and threw me into the fog of lost souls."

"Wow, what an ass," Xiaoyu casually commented, walking towards the dedication plaque near the entrance.

Made possible through the noble efforts of the 54th Peace Division of the Royal Fire Nation Army and a donation of 159 million golden ban by Captain Masaru Lee on the 5th day of the 11th month 134 AG

"That's Uncle Saru!" Jinora exclaimed.

"When he was a captain?" Xiaoyu gasped.

"He was in the Fire Nation Army? Not the United Forces?" Jinora asked.

"Apparently."

"But why?"

"How should I know? I met him the same time you did, and we didn't just sit down and interrogate him on his life story!"

"Maybe we should next time we see him! It could be interesting."

"Yeah, could be."

"Anyways, clothes!" The girls went to the directory and found a fashion design section on the map. They chose out a couple books from each nation and flipped through them for style matches.

"This fur trim is water tribe but the buttoning and fold over looks distinctly Earth Kingdom but the pointy shoes are unquestionably Fire Nation"

"But in this book about fashion of those with mixed heritage it talks about there being patterns. They use Kori Morishita as an example. Her Fire Nation father was governor of Yu Dao and her mother was Earth Kingdom. She always wore a red shawl over green or red robes. Because of the prowess of the Fire Nation during the 100 year war, wearing red above all was perceived as a symbol of status for those of mixed heritage because one of their 'lowly parents' managed to seduce a member of the superior race or upper class," Jinora said, showing Xiaoyu another book.

"That's an interesting claim. It makes sense though because being at least part Fire Nation would have been awfully convenient during the war."

"But it doesn't match that trend either," Jinora said, knitting her brow in confusion.

"Excuse me," a smooth voice asked coming from above them. They both looked up to come face to face with a young man in casual Fire Nation traveling robes. He was dressed like the lower class but his posture and voice indicated upper class Fire Nation. "Forgive me for listening, but I think I can be of service to you in your quest to identify the people in your photograph."

Jinora and Xiaoyu glanced at each other. "Can we trust him?" Jinora asked.

"I don't know? What could he do to us?" Xiaoyu asked.

"Call the press?"

"We'll burn the papers."

"You're not a fire bender. You can't burn papers."

"I can blow air on some embers," Xiaoyu whispered stubbornly.

"Alright," Jinora sighed and looked up at the guy. "What makes you think you're any more able to identify the people in this photograph by nothing more than their clothing?"

The man smiled. "My name is Kohaku Ge and I am a graduate student of international relations at the Ranshao Rikai university in the Fire Nation. I have studied the four nations and their traditions since I could read. As part of my studies, I practice identifying a person's lineage based on their appearance and then alter my speech and behaviors to align more with what they're used to in an effort to make him or her more comfortable during our meeting. You," He said to Jinora. "Are are nothing but air, and you," he turned to Xiaoyu and smiled. "You are an equal part of everything."

"Why do you want to help us?" Jinora asked suspiciously.

"I want to help as many people as I can all over the world which is why I want to become a diplomat. I thought this incident might be good practice," Kohaku replied smoothly.

Xiaoyu shrugged.

"Alright-" Jinora said handing him the photograph.

He smiled. "You're looking in the wrong books. They're not of mixed heritage. They're clearly members of one of the non-aligned factions."

"Non-aligned factions?" Jinora asked.

"There are several of them all over the world. The largest ones are in the southern Earth Kingdom and the outer Fire Nation Islands where our beloved Fire Lord Izumi's influence doesn't quite reach," he said still smiling. He handed the photograph back and scanned the shelves. "Here, this one may help you narrow down your search," he said dropping a rather large tome down before them. "And don't just look at clothing. Hair and eye shape can also give a lot away," Kohaku said. "I should probably go to my conference at City Hall now. It was a pleasure meeting you both. I hope that book helps you-"

"Jinora," Jinora said.

"Jinora," he bowed and turned to Xiaoyu expectantly. Xiaoyu remained silent.

"Xiaoyu-" Jinora answered for her.

"Xiaoyu," he said beautifully, bowing to her as well before taking leave.

Xiaoyu turned and noticed Jinora staring at her with the most ridiculous smile on her face as if she had just been let in on a big embarrassing secret. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Xiaoyu asked cluelessly.

"YOU LIKE HIM!" Jinora exclaimed, punching Xiaoyu in the arm.

"What the flameo, Jinora? You don't even hang out with Huifan and Jiexue and their mannerisms are still rubbing off on you!" Xiaoyu said rubbing her arm.

Jinora laughed. "Just admit it! You couldn't say a word to him! You didn't even tell him your name when he said goodbye, I had to!"

"Spirits, will you just shut up about him? It would never work anyways! He goes to school in the Fire Nation, we'll probably never see each other again!"

"Not with that attitude! Come on, let's figure out which non-aligned faction these people belong to!" Jinora exclaimed, flipping through the book.

Xiaoyu looked down at the pages, but only saw Kohaku looking down at her with that dark hair and those beautiful amber eyes that matched hers.

Around the corner, Kohaku stood with his back against the bookshelves with a devious smirk on his face, listening. Perfect. Neither of them have any potential for earth. And he went away.

* * *

"WE'RE GOING TO THE EASTERN AIR TEMPLE! WE WILL BE BACK IN THREE DAYS!" Jinora announced as she and Xiaoyu ran into the Beifong Residence on Air Temple Island that evening, each with a satchel full of books.

"What? Wait! We're supposed to stay here until Mom and Dad come back from their honeymoon!" Huifan said sprinting up the stairs after them.

"Actually, they asked if we'd be fine on our own. They didn't specify on our own meant on the island!" Xiaoyu relied.

"And we weren't the ones who promised to 'hold down the fort' that was all you," Jinora added.

Huifan growled with her arms folded angrily. "Fine, send a wire when you arrive there and again when you begin your journey back, and DON'T DIE! I really don't want to deal with Mom grieving for a second time," she decided finally.

"Thanks, Huifan!"

"You're the best!"

"Whatever."

* * *

The Eastern Air Temple looked beautiful as they rode in on Jinora's sky bison Pepper. As they made their descent, the news of their arrival spread throughout the temple like a wildfire. Once they actually touched down, they were greeted by the head acolyte, Ilina.

"Master Jinora, and..." Ilina paused when she turned to Xiaoyu.

"Yeshe Xiaoyu," Xiaoyu said bowing to the head air acolyte of the Eastern Air Temple .

All of the air acolytes gasped.

"Yeshe?! You- you're a Yeshe?!" Ilina gasped.

"Isn't Jinora one too?" Xiaoyu asked. "We have the same father,"

"I don't think so," Ilina said pensively. "Come. There is something in the record room that you might want to see. It is a room we only discovered a few weeks ago.

They followed the Air acolytes to a record room deep inside the temple.

"This record room has been our greatest find. It contains an estimated ten thousand scrolls dating back thousands of years and all left untouched by the Fire Nation. We stumbled upon it by pure accident. Apparently the Air Nomads had a spiritual connection with the great Banyan Tree in the swamp. There, a prophet predicted their demise nearly 500 years before it happened and still the air nomads took no change in action. They were adamant to not let fear warp their free existence or change their way of living."

"That's pretty incredible but how does that have anything to do with my name?"

"Yeshe was a name given to the Air Nomad avatar every cycle for the sole purpose of international travel. Only they and their immediate families and 'blessed' descendents could bear that name. In the year 174 AG, the current prophet of the Banyan Tree came here to add a scroll to the record room, this:" the air acolyte said pulling a delicate scroll off the shelf handing it to Xiaoyu.

Six loves, six lives,

Five touched by spirit

One touched by night

Three stay down

Three take flight

Six Yeshes in this fight

Four Trunghais help end their strife

"What is a Trunghai?" Xiaoyu asked.

"We are predicting it is the name given to the descendants of the avatar that are born after he or she passes and is unable to bless their life."

"That doesn't make any sense though because I was born five years after Grandpa Aang died," Xiaoyu commented.

"Maybe it isn't blessing the children, but the wife! Xiaoyu! Grandpa Aang was there for Lin. Your mom and my Dad lived on the island, their house was there and everything. Maybe the part about being touched by 'night' was referring to how your parents split without Avatar Aang's approval or something!" Jinora explained.

"And you and your siblings are the four Trunghais that helped us come out of isolation hence ending the strife!" Xiaoyu realized.

"Okay but does that really have anything to do with our quest?"

"Your quest?"

"We're trying to find the Non-Aligned Rice Faction. The book in the library told us they used to live in some caves in the same mountain range of the Eastern Air Temple.

The Air Acolyte grimaced. "There a vile people. They took a few of our own just the other night."

"Took as in killed or took as in imprisoned?"

"We don't know."

"Why didn't you tell us as soon as we arrived?"

"We could have gone after them!"

"The airbenders and now Air acolytes are a non-aggressive group of people. Our ancestors would not have 'gone after them' and therefore we should not go after them and risk a fight. Let fate have what it will with us. We have accepted our life as it is."

"Bullshit!" Jinora cursed.

"Jinora! Language!" Xiaoyu reminded her.

"Where are their caves?" Jinora asked the air acolyte.

"A few miles south of here. They're rather high up and difficult to get to. If you try to scale the mountainside, they will attack from above. It's too perilous-"

"We're not air acolytes; we are airbenders. And we have Pepper, come on!" Jinora said grabbing Xiaoyu's wrist and breaking into a run back out to the courtyard.

* * *

When they got to the courtyard, the Temple was under attack from the people with the strange clothes. Pepper, the sky bison was under attack. The air acolytes surrounded him trying to negotiate with the non-aligned.

"Pepper!" Jinora yelled.

Pepper roared. He wanted to defend himself too but he didn't want to blow away any acolytes in between him and their enemy.

"Acolytes, move!" Xiaoyu said airbending herself over their heads onto Pepper's saddle. They ran and the non-aligned threw chains over Pepper. Xiaoyu spun her glider generating a massive tornado blowing the chains and the non-aligned off the mountain side.

"Call Aunt Su in Ba Sing Se! We need to get some sort of defense out here and she's the closest ally!" Xiaoyu ordered.

"But her direct line is only for emergencies!" Jinora replied.

"How long has have the nonaligned been kidnapping Air acolytes?" Xiaoyu asked the head air acolyte.

"A few months. This was the tenth to go missing."

"Call Aunt Su, it is an emergency!"

* * *

"I cannot believe you left the island without telling your parents-" Suyin said arriving with a dozen Zaofu guards, a dozen Earth Kingdom guards and two a half dozen Dai Li agents.

"They're the ones who were going to leave anyways to find their new home and told us not to feel like we needed to stay. They're the ones who told us we were free and find our own way-" Xiaoyu replied.

"So you came to the Eastern Air Temple-" Suyin asked.

"We are trying to find a certain faction of non-aligned but apparently this same faction happened to also be been kidnapping air acolytes!"

"Where is their base? If I can get close enough, I can scan the mountain for possible holding locations. Sorry, I don't have Huifan's range-"

"It's two miles south. We can take you by air," they said indicating Pepper.

"Fine," Suyin said, praying her sister wouldn't kill her later.

They took the dozen Zaofu guards in three war balloons and Suyin on Pepper to the mountain south of the temple. The earthbenders dropped in but as soon as they landed we're nearly buried in an avalanche. The earthbenders covered themselves with earthbent wedges above their heads. Suyin jumped down above them and made a wedge the width of the mountain to shield her guards from Zaofu and allow them to come to her level. Together, they broke off the mountain top. From Pepper, Jinora and Xiaoyu saw the complex. They flew in on gliders and dropped smoke bombs.

Suyin and the guards put on their masks and raided the place imprisoning everyone they came across in rock mounds temporarily.

"Clear!" Suyin yelled. Jinora and Xiaoyu flew in as Suyin slammed her foot into the ground erecting a large pillar so she could read the mountain with her hands and feet. She looked down and dug a tunnel.

"You four, secure the perimeter. You six. Secure the mountain side, you two, come with me," Suyin ordered.

"I'll stay here. I'm not really good in dark small tunnels." Jinora said.

"I'll go. I practically grew up in the labyrinth beneath Republic City's Beifong Estate," Xiaoyu said jumping in.

As soon as they landed on ground in the tunnels of the mountain, Suyin immediately sent metal strips at the eyes, ankles, and wrists of every person they came across.

Just then blinding lights turned on.

"EARTHBENDERS!" Someone yelled.

Chi blockers dropped from the ceiling taking down Suyin's two guards quickly then Su. Xiaoyu dodged four on one then took down three of them with a series of quick jabs and and kicks to pressure points all over their body.

"What is a chi blocker doing working with benders-" one spat.

"Who said the chi blocker couldn't be a bender?" Xiaoyu asked blasting the remaining attackers down the tunnel before helping her aunt and the two guards up. They made it to the door at the end of the tunnel. Metal.

"Xiaoyu-" Suyin paused.

"I can reverse it!" Xiaoyu said quickly putting her aunt between herself and the metal door then punching her in several points on the spine then behind the leg

"Ow!"

"Try bending!" Xiaoyu yelled.

Suyin kicked the door down effortlessly to find a lone man at a desk.

"Where are the Air acolytes?!" Xiaoyu demanded.

"And don't even try lying!" Suyin added.

The man writing at the desk didn't bother looking up. "You're too late, they've already been received by the League," the man said.

"The acolytes we're here barely three minutes ago!" Suyin said in disbelief.

"And have been moved since, feel free to check again," the man said smoothly. Suyin slammed her foot into the ground and sighed in frustration.

"They can't be far, Xiaoyu. We should go," Suyin said. "Maybe we can intercept them on Pepper."

"Wait," Xiaoyu said. "What is the League?" Xiaoyu demanded.

"Oh you'll find out very soon, don't worry," the young man said.

"Xiaoyu, we should get going," Suyin urged.

"Wait. There's one more thing we came here for," Xiaoyu said.

The seventeen-year-old airbender, blew the man out of his chair and then threw knives to hold him up against the wall.

"Who are these people?" Xiaoyu asked holding up the photo Jinora had of the people in strange clothes.

The man's eyes narrowed.

"You're one of her kids from THAT other man aren't you?" he spat.

"Just answer the question!" Xiaoyu ordered.

"Those people were my family before the Air Acolytes here STOLE my mother from me and SOLD her to the Air Acolytes in Republic City! I am Yu Chin, eldest son of Taku and Pema of the non-aligned Rice Faction, brother to Rai. Sworn brother of the League devoted to seeing the demise of the Air Nation and all of its allies so that none of them could continue to commit such heinous crimes against the nonaligned!"

"Well wrong side, buddy!" Xiaoyu growled pulling out her fans.

"What lies have you been eating? The Air Acolytes won't even defend themselves from your senseless acts of revenge because it is against their non-violent philosophy. How could you possibly believe that they could even have the capacity to kidnap anybody let alone SELL them to another temple as a master would a slave?" Suyin asked. "And what type of mad man would use the disappearance of ONE PERSON to start a vendetta against those aligned with any of the four nations?"

"Ask my father's dead body!" Yu replied baring his teeth.

In a flash, Suyin bent Xiaoyu's knives back and slapped a metal strip around the young man's neck raising him.

"What a waste of time that would be. No, we will use you to find out just how big these non-aligned factions are and we will CRUSH them! From this moment on, you are nothing but a servant of the Earth Queen!" Suyin growled.

"NO!" Xiaoyu argued. "That would only reinforce his belief that the people of the four nations are inhumane savages with no regard for human life. Why don't we take him to Pema, so she could tell him the truth about how she threw herself at my father's feet and convinced the White Lotus to break up MY FAMILY so she could be a world savior and live out the rest of her days birthing Air Babies!"

"My mother would never betray my father by throwing herself at another man's feet!" Yu yelled.

"And the Air Acolytes would never kidnap anybody!" Xiaoyu insisted.

Yu looked down seething with frustration as he pulled at the metal strip around his neck.

"Let him down and bind him so he could breathe, please," Xiaoyu asked her aunt.

"Since you are confessing to engaging in numerous illegal activities and conspiring against all four nations, we have no choice but to detain you and have you stand trial for your crimes against humanity," Suyin said dropping him and binding him from ankle to shoulders in steel cables.

"What gives you that authority?" Yu asked in defeat.

"I AM the earth queen," Suyin replied.

They dragged him out.

* * *

"Why aren't we going to the Capital of the Kingdom?" Yu asked sitting aboard Suyin's airship in chains en-route to Republic City. "I thought you were going to have your Dai Li Agents brainwash my comrades and me or something,"

"We don't brainwash anybody anymore no matter how convenient it would be. We're a more ethical people than you would dare to believe," Suyin responded casually.

"That still doesn't answer my question," Yu said defiantly.

"You don't get to ask questions after all you've done!" Xiaoyu growled. "Kidnapping young air acolytes to give to this League we still know nothing about."

"We are going to Republic City so that you could visit your mother, our mother," Jinora said standing facing the forward window of the airship with her arms folded and her back towards Yu.

"You're- wait! Mother is in prison?" Yu asked, horrified. "No! She's not that type of person!"

"I didn't think she was either, until I watched her become delusional, deranged to the point of insanity out of unreasonable jealousy. She built a giant flying spirit mech and used it to invade the United Republic because she was mad at my father and at us for loving our aunt Lin too much for her liking," Jinora explained.

Yu looked grief stricken.

"You never heard? What, do you live under a rock or something?" Suyin asked Yu skeptically.

His silence confirmed it: he hadn't left that underground office for quite a while. "My superiors must not have thought the status of my mother was pertinent information for me to carry out my duties."

* * *

The two airbenders and the Earth Queen marched into the Republic City police station without Suyin's royal entourage to try to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

"Do you know where they put Pema?" Suyin asked.

"Medium Security ward, Solitary confinement, Sublevel 3, I visited once, to ask about that photograph that I found while cleaning," Jinora said heading for the door in the lobby that lead to the rest of the police headquarters.

"Um… Ma'am! Misses!" Civilians aren't allowed back there!" A secretary and a couple of officers called running after them. They turned, Suyin stilling their pursuers with her metalbending.

"I am Suyin Beifong, Interim Earth Queen, and the younger daughter of Toph Beifong, the founder of the Republic City Police Department and inventor of metalbending. This place was and always will be a second home to me, no matter who sits in the chief's office. I'm going down there with these three and nobody is going to know about it," Suyin said dangerously.

"Yes, your majesty," the secretary gulped nervously.

"Good," Suyin said releasing her grip on their armor before turning forward again to metalbend the door open for Jinora, Xiaoyu, and Yu in chains to pass.

* * *

"So the Master Airbender I born and raised has come again to grace me with her presence in my lowly prison cell?" Pema asked sitting lazily with her back against the opposite wall.

"I didn't come alone," Jinora said. "Yu-"

Yu walked in front of the cell and peered in in the dim light.

"You found them?" Pema asked looking away.

"Mom! What happened? I thought the Air Acolytes kidnapped you! And now you're the one in prison?" Yu asked, falling to his knees.

"Is that the lie your father fed you?" Pema asked sounding more tired than anything.

"What?" Yu asked weakly, his voice quivering.

"He was an ass, Yuya. I had to leave. The Air Acolytes found me, gave me food and water, and showed me kindness, so I joined them there at the Eastern Air Temple. Still, it was not enough to escape the pain that I had previously endured daily. I was scared that Taku would come after me again, so I asked to be transferred as far away as possible. They sent me to Air Temple Island in Republic City. There, I met Tenzin and thought I could be happy with him but he turned out to be an ass just like every other man,"

"So… you left us?" Yu asked falling to his knees. "You Left us with HIM?! How could any mother do that to her children?" Yu asked, crestfallen.

"I figured since his anger was only ever directed at me, you'd be safe,"

"Safe? After you left, he went insane!" Yu cried, gripping the bars of his mother's jail cell so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Even the smallest imperfection sent him into a fit of rage. He killed Rai after the boy failed to come back with blood on his sword one day. Do you know how hard it is to watch your brother die before your eyes? Do you have any idea what you've done to US by leaving?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't think he'd break so… easily…" Pema replied, unmoving.

"Of course not, because you didn't think of anybody but yourself. You didn't see the inevitable coming. You're just a selfish woman do you know that?" Yu asked, letting go of the bars, standing up, and stepping back.

Pema didn't respond.

"No wonder Master Tenzin left you for his first wife," Yu spat.

Pema closed her eyes in regret. For what specifically, nobody could tell. Most likely it was for everything.

"Your majesty," Yu turned to Suyin. "I am done with this creature of a woman. If you will, please take me to whatever prison cell you want to lock me in for my crimes against the Air Acolytes of the Eastern Temple, do it, since I currently have no capacity to return to my post for the League."

"Is that it then?" Suyin asked.

"Is what it? What were you expecting?" Yu asked confusedly.

"I guess, we didn't know what to expect. When Xiaoyu's siblings and my siblings and we met, we sorta became friends. I just thought maybe… that when we found you, we could become friends too," Jinora explained.

"That childish naivety will be your downfall, Jinora. I could never be your friend, or your ally. Trust me when I say the world that will be built very soon has no place for any nation, and most likely no place for you," Yu said looking down at the girl.

Jinora looked up at Suyin who's glare only intensified. "We're going to have a very long conversation about this League you speak of," she growled grabbing him by the collar and dragging him out of the police station.

"It will only be a waste of time, for I cannot be broken," Yu replied.

* * *

Once Yu was en route to a prison in Ba Sing Se, Suyin accompanied Xiaoyu and Jinora back to Air Temple Island.

"Thanks for the back up, Aunty," Xiaoyu said hugging the Earth Queen.

"Yeah, though as much as we'd love you to stay, you should probably leave because it WAS kind of an unsanctioned mission," Jinora added.

"Wait, you didn't even tell Lin or Tenzin?" Suyin asked.

"I didn't know how father would react to me going after the people in the photograph. I don't even know if he knows, and I didn't want to really ask for permission to possibly come back with two more siblings," Jinora explained. "Sometimes it is a lot easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

"Besides, we knew it was a going to be a short trip, and Dad and Aunt Lin weren't supposed to be back for a week," Xiaoyu added.

"And since nothing did really change on the island, it would probably be best to not mention anything about our little escapade."

Suyin thought about their request for a moment. "You know, of all of Lin's children, I always thought you two were the least likely to go on some grand adventure without approval and then ask me to cover for you."

"Maybe you just don't know us yet as well as you thought you did," Jinora suggested.

"Or maybe, we're just changing," Xiaoyu added.

Suyin smiled. "Well, I look forward to getting to know you girls during our next adventure in the Fire Nation for Zumzu's wedding. Until then, be safe until Lin and Tenzin come back, and don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

Suyin kissed both girls goodbye then snuck onto a near empty ferry avoiding everybody and headed back to Ba Sing Se.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof! Really not pleased with the last 'clump/scene' of this chapter, but I like the rest of the chapter.
> 
> I have actually decided to end Earth and Air right here. The line with Kohaku in the library talking about neither girl having any potential for earth will be very important when the story continues starting in Chapter 30 of the Princess's Fire.
> 
> That story is mostly my take on Fire Lord Izumi's probably horrible (yet somewhat not as bad as the Kataang Kid's life maybe) life. Then there is a 10 year time jump to 175AG that picks up after the Linzin wedding (in this story), and documents a series of unfortunate events that sort of ruin the family vacation that precedes the Masumi Wedding.
> 
> I am actually really excited for it because:
> 
> 1\. the Linzin and Sutar Kids get to meet MORE cousins!  
2\. Zuko, Katara, and Toph get some scenes.  
3\. Toph threatens to metalbend Izumi's crown into the words "fuck you" and then stamp it onto her forehead for a perfectly good reason that you will see someday soon...  
4\. There's a handful of new OCs, of which include a pair of identical twins that I imagine look exactly like Lotor from VLD, (just fire nation and even more beautiful (One is always overdressed and wears his hair long, beautiful, flowing and free and the other wears a messy pony tail and peasant clothes because he is constantly getting into fights and doesn't want to ruin his finery))  
5\. Lightning bending becomes EVEN more OP if you could believe it (I took a class on neuroscience last summer, and kind of tried to apply some rudimentary science to the Avatar World).
> 
> ANYWAYS, I hope you enjoyed this not-so-short short, thing. If you liked my Linzin Babies, this IS A PART OF A SERIES that includes:  
Cracks in the Foundation (150-158AG) incomplete  
In Isolation (158AG-174AG) incomplete  
Lives Forgotten (174AG) Complete (but a piece of literal shit if you ask me, I reread it and found SOOOO MANY typos and wrong words and terrible grammar, and discontinuity(i did write it in bursts though and kind of planned nothing so... :-/ ))  
Earth and Air
> 
> (174AG)
> 
> (The Princess's Fire is set in the SAME AU (and will have Huifan and her siblings appear later on in the story) but focused on Fire Lord Izumi; Linzin Babies will reappear in Chapter 30[or near there]).
> 
> Well, that's it for my end-of chapter/story rambling and other fanfics by me promotion. Let me know what you think of This Last Week in Republic City and the Linzin Wedding! Happy Friday! Happy weekend! Happy November, Happy Holidays, Happy New year... Just... Be happier than me as I walk into two midterms today:((


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